This small archer isn't afraid of the dark! Inspired by a family movie from 1970 (long before the days of phone cameras) the little archer is my brother. Daddy had been bow hunting. Arriving home with a buck, he handed his young son the bow and let him shoot at the carcass, again and again, long after sunset darkened our small backyard. The movie was grainy and dark, but the red coat and skinlights stood out, as did the joy in my little brother's face as he pulled the string taut and released it at his target.
Using charcoal and graphite with pastel accents, I painted a vignette of childhood joy: the joy at succeeding at a skill, coupled with the joy of basking in fatherly attention. The dark background keeps the scene intimate and untouched by anything outside the circle of this small but mighty hunter being coached by his unseen but very present dad.