I completed this portrait of my grandparents as a mixed media demonstration for a UCSD Extended Studies course I teach. In the class, “Drawing Ideas: Developing Your Sketchbook”, I talked about combining watercolor with ink, colored pencil, marker and other media.

The piece is dedicated to my recently passed grandmother, Marlene. She is pictured here with my grandfather and a line of tulips representing their children. I wanted to bring the portrait to life using a quadratic color scheme—purple, teal, orange, and green forming the primary palette.

I absolutely loved the process of applying loose washes of color and building up details with colored pencil. I hope that the painting portrays the vivacity of my Grandmother and the love and devotion she spread during her lifetime.