How do we feel about certain memories, usually it’s the small, tiny things that give us the warm, deep feelings.

Memories of childhood, holding a baby, watching our kids or little children playing, a meal out with people we love, a big in depth chat with a friend, the pound of live music going through your body.

I nearly always find my biggest emotions come from remembering my younger days and then equally watching my own kids grow up and witnessing their milestones over the years.

The innocence of childhood and how big the world is and watching little people make sense of it all can be amazing to watch and worth taking the time to observe.

Over the years I have worked as a Montessori teacher, playschool assistant, childminder and I have taught baby massage, I will always remember the little people who were in my life at that time.

I often feel that my love for creating child portrait commissions is a similar warm feeling to what I talked about earlier, watching the piece evolve, finding joy in the process and understanding the importance of capturing this moment in the child’s life.

The best part, of course, is seeing the parents reaction and bringing this moment in time to them that can be kept as a reminder of those important days.

I am always happy to engage with you to discuss your special portrait commission, I like to be considerate of the feelings behind it and include all the pieces to make this unique piece for you. Enjoy a browse of some examples below and you can phone me any time on 085 7698963 or email artistkarenhickey@gmail.com

I was chuffed to receive this comment on my child portraits from Graham Knuttle recently:

‘I love this work, I had never seen it before. It is so refreshing and honest and each portrait really does show the character of the sitter. It is very difficult to paint kids but it is done with such ease here, it’s great’ Graham Knuttle

Making Memories