844 Will You Be My Valentine?

A very wise woman,  my mentor, always said it was the kiss of death to fall in love with your painting.  (It really was a tough lesson to learn.)   But she never said I shouldn't fall in love with my subject.  This little angel stole my heart at first glance.

Her name is Safaa.  I don't always know the child's name when I paint the refugees ANERA serves, and the more information I have about each child, the more intimate the painting experience.  I don't know anything about her, other than she is probably Palestinian or Syrian living in Lebanon, Palestine or Jordan, so I just imagine what her life is like, and what it could be when I am painting her.   She probably lives in a makeshift refugee camp where heat is nonexistent.  If she is lucky, ANERA provides her with a preschool to attend, and warm boots provided by Toms, and emergency lights. Hopefully she has the medical supplies she needs and clean water, all provided by ANERA.

ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) is a non-political non-profit headquartered in Washington, D.C.  They are committed to providing not only aid to families in the Middle East, but to giving them as much dignity as possible.  These ANERA folks are angels too.

If you are so moved, please consider making a donation to ANERA at www.anera.org.

"844 Will You Be My Valentine?"
acrylic - 12x12 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/844-will-you-be-my-valentine/561749