This series of large-scale oil paintings on canvas explores how children encounter the camera while being photographed. What began as a broader exploration of the performative nature of smiling across generations within my family, has distilled into a more personal study of my nieces and nephews, ages 4, 7, 9 and 9. They are a joy to know, watch and learn and are central to my life. In less than a year, I have witnessed the striking yet subtle shifts in how they each relate to the lens. In capturing their fleeting moments of authenticity, hesitation and play, viewers can relate to the universal tension between self image, vulnerability and joy in front of the camera.

My process begins with my niece and nephews being photographed in everyday settings— their siblings' sports games, in restaurants and on fun adventures when their personalities shine through in unexpected ways. From these images, I begin a loose structural outline on the canvas and then paint in layers. I lay down an initial pass of color and value and then redraw my image. I move between these two steps until I have made accurate color & value choices and proportions.

Each painting ranges in size from 24 x 24 inches to 30 x 40 inches to amplify the presence of each child. I focus on scale and expressive brushwork that us layered, fluid, and gestural to evoke a sense of immediacy. Viewers experience each moment as if it is unfolding in real time, placing them almost face-to-face with the subjects, their smiles, playful exaggerations and their connection to one another.