This was a painting I did to celebrate the whole family (all three of us). My daughter, Nathalie is represented taking what she calls a puppy nap inside one of her favorite Vans sneakers, while my wife is waking up in her trellised work shoes. I’m baiting my wife with an acorn from a gabled bay window in my favorite Frye’s biker boots.

I started with a loose background wash, glazed to reveal trees and ferns of a forest setting. Mid-ground mushrooms were painted with wet bleeds while the boots and tree trunk textures were combinations of wet-on-wet, glazing, and deliberate blooms. Our daughter’s affectionate nickname is “Mouse”.