Painting of Children: "Getting Her Feet Wet", also called "The Little Wader"

2007, oil on canvas, 16”x 20”

The little flower girl headed straight to the creek after my nephew’s wedding on a cattle ranch in Montana. Since I always have camera--will travel, I kept snapping until a look I wanted presented itself. I would paint children from life but they only stay still a nanosecond. In this painting I had to decide where I wanted her to look: at the bank--suggesting insecurity; far ahead--possibly suggesting dangerous risk-taking; or just ahead of her feet--implying that she would be careful and steady as she tests the waters.