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  I painted this portrait of my son back in September.  I did it because I enjoy painting people, I love my son and we enjoy recreational shooting.  I chose to put in a lot of symbolic references that might normally be absent from my work.  To learn about that symbolism visit my homepage.

I was hesitant to publish an image of the painting because I was submitting it to different auction events and I wanted to wait to make it public.  In the interim Washington was in the news with a tragic school shooting occurring in Marysville.  Shortly after that the voters of Washington passed into law I594 which will limit gun ownership and heavily regulate the use of firearms I already own.  My understanding of the law is that a youth will not be able to own a firearm nor may I loan mine to my own son, but I digress.

This painting seems to be very appropriate and timely for current events.  It is not that I desire it to "stir the pot" of the debate over the Second Amendment.  Keep in mind I completed this painting well in advance of the I594 ballot and the Marysville tragedy.  I am not clairvoyant but I am often ahead of things in my timing.  As I previously stated, we enjoy shooting as a recreational past time.  It is something we do as a family; it is a part of my culture.  I see a great deal of benefit to my children in participating in well supervised shooting activities.  I have witnessed first hand the excitement of a youth with low self esteem when she discovered that she could accomplish accurate shooting.  It feels good to be successful at something.  They learn goal setting by trying to increase their accuracy at given distances. If they wish to progress in the sport then we will have opportunity to sharpen their math skills by calculating distances and how the accuracy of the shot will be affected by that distance.  I also believe that ethical safety practices during shooting will teach my children to be cognizant of how their actions affect others.  They must be made aware that when they hold that firearm their primary concern must be for the safety and well being of people and property and that they have a civil responsibility to behave accordingly.  You may argue that goal setting can be attained through other sports and that is true enough.  I would counter by saying I want a family activity.  Shooting is a lifelong sport that my wife and I will want to share with our grandchildren.  I cannot remember the last time I saw a grandma and grandpa playing football with the kids. 

I imagine this painting may make some observers uncomfortable while simultaneously inspiring others.  If it offends I will make no apology. The painting is intended to celebrate my love for my son and our freedom to participate in the tradition of firearms ownership and the sport of shooting.  I love my daughter and already have plans for a similar painting of her.  It is not my purpose to spark an argument about firearms and their use though some observers of the painting may be incensed and choose to use the art as a platform for debate.  No matter what side of the fence you're on at least the painting will make you think. One aspect of good art is that it can reflect the contemporary culture (think Norman Rockwell) and inspire people to take action.  If the artwork upsets you, then imagine he is holding a baseball bat or golf club.  Now how do you feel?