899 Call to Action

Portrait painting is so difficult, and this one was particularly challenging for me for some reason.  The tiniest change in the angle of any of the facial lines can turn a smile into a smirk,  calm expression into worry or anger, etc.  Even the age of the person is too easily altered by the slightest mistake.  Rearranging facial features--moving an eye up or down, etc---always makes me think of my kids mixing up the features of Mr. Potato Head.

This beautiful little girl's portrait was the 31st painted as part of The Innocents Project, and is my effort to bring awareness of the innocent children we call refugees in the Middle East, and to the wonderful humanitarian work ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) does.  I have been closely following the situation in Gaza and the torment the people there have experienced in recent weeks, and even though this young girl is smiling, I'm sure there isn't much to smile about in Gaza.

ANERA's words are much more powerful than any of mine could be, so I will shamelessly copy and paste from their website.  They are the people on the ground in Gaza and can report the situation much more accurately than I can.  I am a supporter of ANERA and partner with them to show you the real children who benefit from their work.

If you would like to learn more about ANERA's work, please visit their website at www.anera.org
and donate if you can.

"Once again, the world is looking at tiny Gaza as it copes with more bloodshed and anguish. For Anera’s community of supporters, the news is a call to action to do something for the Palestinians of Gaza who are caught up in a situation that is hard for most people to fathom. With generous donor funds, Anera’s on-the-ground Gaza staff has responded with versatility and resourcefulness to get help where it is most needed." 

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/899-call-to-action/683607