Gabriella and Giuliana Blatt!

(Please click images to enlarge.)

Some months ago, I shed up my own raffle to raise money for the family of Lisa Millim, a family friend suffering from cancer. The top prize was a 16" X 20" acrylic-on-canvas panel rendering (by me!) of any subject the winner desired, the winner being a friend in the boxing media, Kevin Blatt (of ONTHEGRiND BOXiNG). 

Well, originally, Kev had a really cool idea for a fantasy fight piece involving Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs. Bernard Hopkins (my favorite fantasy bout as well!), a meeting between two legendary ex-Undisputed Middleweight Champions that couldn't possibly happen. That said, Hagler-Hopkins wasn't the only option.

Enter Kevin's wife, Marquita, who had the genuinely nice idea to render the couple's two young daughters, Gabriella ("Gabby") and Giuliana ("Giuli"). And although I was psyched to render a Hagler-Hopkins piece, I was even more psyched to create a painting involving non-celebrities. Until now, the only non-celebrity or fighter I recreated was my wife, Debbie's late maternal grandfather, Charles Harl (http://www.coyoteduran.com/2010/09/some-say-that-artist-has-gift-in-doing.html). That said, this is the very first painting I've ever done of someone's- anyone's- relatives. 


Honestly, I think it's the very best painting I've ever done. And I have the Blatts to thank for the subjects, mainly for the challenge of having to stay as true as humanly (and artistically) possible to the subject matter.


As you can see, I've provided the actual photo reference below the finished work just to give you Howlers a little context to go off of. It mighn't be exact but that's only because one can't possibly recreate the actual beauty of children. It's freaking impossible.