I know they can't all be my favorite, but this drawing certainly ranks as one of my favorites. Of course, any picture with family members in it warms my heart, but this one brings very special memories. This illustration is of my husband, Eldon, and our daughter, Heather. As the title explains, it was her first Easter egg hunt. The original photo was very dark, making it difficult to distinguish their features; however, the picture was so charming, I couldn't resist the challenge. As is the case in many photographs, the background was too "busy." Instead, I substituted a simple wooden porch. The planks are drawn vertically, rather than horizontally, in order to keep the viewer's eyes focused on the subjects, and not tending to drift off the illustration. I used a simple dark background to make Eldon's shirt illuminate.
Every picture tells a story and sparks memories that may be forgotten if not for the visual cues and reminders. This painting, of course, reminds me of the exact moment when Eldon was helping Heather unwrap her chocolate eggs and how precious Heather was, patiently waiting with her tiny hand resting on her father's hand. But it also reminds me of how the entire day was fun and exciting. It had been a long time since there had been a baby in the family, (I guess I had been the last one), and now there were two. We had a precious little girl to dress up in bonnets and lace, and my brother, Scott, was there with his first son, Christoper, dressed in his little man's suit, and who was also celebrating his first Easter egg hunt. The two babies were born only a couple of months apart. On this Easter, most of the family were together at my parent's house, and we were having an Easter egg hunt for the two of them. Neither one of them walked very well at the time, so there was a proud uncle or grandparent to hold their hands as they went in search of the brightly colored eggs. Heather would daintily pick up each egg that she found, (which had been hidden very carefully in plain sight), while Christopher would slowly approach each egg, raise a chubby little leg, then stomp down and crush the plastic eggs holding the hidden treasures of chocolate. I was thinking to myself, "I'm so glad that I had a gentle, delicate little girl." Four years later, I was blessed with a little boy. The excitement and adventures never end.