Portrait Paintings
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Painting a portrait is both a challenge and a pleasure for me. So far, I have painted mainly loved ones, but the few commissions that I have received have been satisfying, and because I strive for the outcome to be a lasting work of art, I find that I must charge rates that do justice to the amount of work I put into my portraits.

I also find that a certain connection--aesthetic and spiritual--must be established between the artist and client in order for the portrait to "work." Simply stated, my style and tastes are not for everyone. For that reason, I have given the samples below to give some sense of my inclinations and range. 
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Concerning my process, well, it varies. When I can, I like to start by meeting and talking with my client about the proposed work. How large will it be? Where will it hang? What kind of background would be best?
 
As my samples show, I love to paint children, animals, brides—and ideally in natural settings that help to convey their inner natures and moods. Old-fashioned formal attire can lend an air of timelessness and serve as a way to link the generations. Our children and pets can show the best in us, while portraits of brides convey a woman at her most ideal, imbued with beauty, hope, and promise.
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You might have photos that are special to you--and often I can simply work from these--but I also love to paint from life. This tends to work better with grown-ups than with children, for whom the process of posing, for hours on end, can prove stultifying. However, when it is convenient, I do like to sketch children at play. This helps me to get to know them better, and I can use the sketches as references, though it is not essential. The same holds true for pets.
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Portraits that honor our departed loved ones of course depend on the photos that you provide. The more professional these are, the better, but I have sometimes relied on mere snapshots. I  have found the portraits I have painted of my own--and wife's--ancestors to be rewarding ways of honoring and remembering them.
 
Whatever the case, with every portrait I paint, my aim is not an exact photographic sort of depiction—which often results in a work that is lifeless—but a vibrant painting, infused with life and spirit, that brings a loved one to life for ages to come.
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All of my portraits are in oil on Belgian linen canvas; and they are priced according to the following sizes, unframed, with shipping and travel costs (if necessary) extra:
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Head alone                                                                                   $500 
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Head with shoulders                                                             $1500
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Full figure for children & pets, 3/4 for adults           $3000
 
Full figure for adults                                                             $5000+