Are Abstract Portraits Right for Families?

People often assume abstract portraiture is best suited for individuals — something deeply personal, inward, quiet.

But families are where this work often becomes most powerful.

When I paint a family, I’m not trying to capture everyone at their best angle or freeze a single shared moment. I’m listening for the dynamics between you — how voices overlap, how energy moves, who holds space, who brings levity, who anchors the room.

Families are layered by nature.

Abstract portraiture allows that complexity to exist without forcing it into sameness.

Each portrait is created individually, through the same listening-based process, but the pieces are designed to speak to one another. Colors echo. Rhythms repeat. Differences are honored rather than smoothed over.

What families often tell me afterward is that the portraits feel true — not idealized, not performative. Children feel included. Adults feel seen beyond their roles. The artwork becomes less about how you look together and more about who you are together.

This process is especially meaningful for:

• Families marking a transition or milestone

• Parents who want their children reflected for who they are now

• Chosen families and blended families

• Families who value experience as much as the finished artwork

Abstract portraits don’t replace photographs. They sit alongside them — holding the emotional undercurrent that photos can’t always reach.

If you’re wondering whether this kind of portraiture could work for your family, the answer is often yes — not because families are simple, but because they aren’t.

If you’re curious whether this process might be a good fit for your family, you’re welcome to begin with the intake form. It helps me understand your dynamic, timing, and hopes before we decide next steps together.