Archive Mode. Call 2022 DAKOTA PASTEL COMPETITION - THIRD QUARTER ended on 9/14/22, 11:59 PM. Call settings are read only. See Current Open Calls
Tom Kell passed this earth in September 2021. His life was a gift to anyone who knew him. Besides being a most beloved children’s music teacher in recent years, he was a prolific, brilliant songwriter and recording artist. He left us all with such great music and memories. It took me a year of grieving his loss until I conceived this portrait to include his beloved cowboy boots (he had dozens of pairs) and his guitar, which he was seldom seen without. As I was working on it (on black Canson Mi Tientes Touch paper) the light in the room cast the imprint of the venetian blinds from the window onto the painting. I decided to incorporate that reflection. I took his likeness from various photographs and then wanted a little beatific smile to represent somehow the peace he might have found after life. This was a difficult work emotionally, but of course it would be. We miss you, Tom.
