Custom Oil Portraits: Completed Teen portrait varnished and ready to deliver

The last of three young adults graduated high school and has taken on some incredible volunteer work on a year off between classrooms. Here is the portrait I completed which captures some varied aspects of his character: his humor, intelligence and forward-thinking manner. A wonderful young adult launched into the world!

Commissioned Portraits: Custom Oil Sibling Portraits

I have completed the sibling of these two young woman (as they are today). I painted each sibling at the time of their high school graduation which was quite a joy.

It should be noted that while the family resemblance happens to be marginal in these three young adults, they are equal in wonderful traits, such as charm and intelligence!

I will post the new painting tomorrow. Then it will be varnished and delivered. There was some discussion that the adorable family dog may be next as there are no more children to paint!

Commission a Portrait: Full Length Commission Nearly Complete: Children's portraiture

I'll be posting my latest commission in the next few weeks. As it is a surprise, I'll hold off on any progress photos for now.

This full length girl's custom oil portrait will be a 50th Birthday gift to a husband in the South. It is exciting to consider the unveiling in a few weeks.


Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.

Portraiture Artists: Looking back to Connie Pratt pastel workshop on Cape Cod

That is me, second from the left.

It's always fun to look back and remember some of the fantastic workshops I was able to attend, as I was learning about fine art portraiture! Here is a photograph taken by Connie Pratt (Constance Flavell Pratt). Connie was an excellent teacher who gave a demo in the am the first Monday of the weeklong workshop, and then let us learn by painting all day, every day for the rest of the week. There was a new model each day and we spent the entire day painting (in pastel) each one!

I learned so much from the time at the easel and with her fine critiques. When you are really trying to make progress you take all critiques with the intention of improving.

Connie taught me some very subtle things about pastel and I'll always be grateful to her for that.

When I saw her last, with her lovely sister Jane, Jane said they'd agreed I was her best student, which was very kind of them.


Sonia Hale is an award-winning, nationally-collected artist in Boston. She paints commissioned portraits for families and institutions nationwide. Her original landscape and still life oil paintings can be purchased at http://www.soniahale.com. For more information, go to http://www.soniahale.com. You can reach her by email at soniahale1@gmail.com.