"Portrait of the artist's mother as a young woman"

"You can only be young once. But you can always be immature."
Dave Barry

"Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life."
Herbert Asquith

"Youth is wasted on the young."
George Bernard Shaw

I painted this portrait of my mother from an old photo of hers. The photo itself is very interesting, because it's just a photo of her face taken up close. Her face looks exaggerated, eyes overshadowing all the other facial features. Even though, she is looking forward her eyes don't seem to focus on the viewer. She is looking through you, not at you. It feels as if she is looking into the future, unknowing what it will bring.

I treasure the fact that youth gives us uncertainty. Not knowing one's future has potential to open people to all kinds of opportunities. Of course, there is also a somewhat of Catch-22 involved with this premise, since young people often lack the confidence to go after their dreams, while older people who have the confidence to take risks are often too afraid to do so. I'm very proud of my mother because she is an exception to this paradox. She still goes after her dreams and gives me courage to pursue mine.