This was an interesting commission - a family portrait done as an illustration. I only draw/paint children in my books generally, so to try to portray a whole family including adults of all generations was tricky. And to make them recognisable required research and photographs. We decided to include an object that related to each person too and to have a fairly plain background. The daisy chain symbolised the family links and closeness. The sun for happiness and optimism. The commission was a lot harder than I had imagined. Below are the sketches and finished painting. It was then mounted and framed and I did a hand-lettered dedication surrounding the main image.
It was a surprise 60th birthday present for the lady at the centre of the image.