Brothers (Robles)

by Godfrey J. Ellis – Dec 2019 acrylic 12×16

We invited our neighbors, the Robles family, to the Church Christmas party on Dec. 6, 2019. We had fun watching their 17-year-old son, Lewis (“Bobby”), interacting with his brother. The 5-year-old, Danté, spent most of his time on Lewis’s lap or playing games with his brother.  It was like Lewis was the loving father, not the older brother.  I took several photos trying to capture this sweet relationship for this gift painting.

Below is the reference photo. I took out much of the background clutter but painting the water bottle and glass was a lot of fun.

Here is a photo of Lewis and Danté holding the still-unframed portrait. You can see what a loving older brother Lewis is and how sweet this little child is. The parents of the family had a professional photo taken of the painting and sent it down to the grandparents’ home in Puerto Rico where it is hanging. The original, now framed, is still hanging in the Robles home.