Oil on linen, 36×40”

Artist comment: “When I was first commissioned to paint this memorial portrait of Nathan Vredevelt, I knew it would be a difficult job to re-create the vision that his family had in mind for the portrait. I hired models to sit in, then changed the features and details accordingly. The painting was carefully planned, with colors that reflected the happiness that the family envisioned for Nathan as he was welcomed home. The further I got into the painting, the more rewarding it became… more than I could have ever imagined. Halfway through the painting, when I had finished the fifth layer of paint on Jesus’s face, I looked at Nathan’s face and I could hear him saying “me next”. I could actually feel his presence from that point on, and a connection developed that made it difficult to say goodbye when the painting was finished. I am grateful to have been able to spend that small amount of time with Nathan, and I hope this painting will help keep his spirit alive and bring the Vredevelt family many years of comfort and joy.”