I just finished my latest piece of a wonderful friend, Vanessa das Neves Giacometti as a little girl... Vanessa was born in Americana, a city in São Paulo and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I met her when she moved to Portland, Oregon and married the amazing painter and my friend Dan Giacometti. She was a surgeon in the burn ward in Brazil, her capacity to love and care for others is immense and humbling. 

I saw a mural in Philadelphia depicting the cities' multiculturalism and some of the portraits really reminded me of Diego Rivera's work (an immense favorite of mine).. I haven't painted in months, maybe a year, and seeing this immediately inspired me to get home and get to work... I saw a baby photo of Vanessa and knew I had my muse :) 

The painting is, of course, inspired by Vanessa but has a spirit of it's own.. darkening the skin tone, changing the features a little and adding braided pigtails... While searching for a title for this piece Vanessa shared a video of James Taylor singing "Only a Dream in Rio"!

Prints of this painting are available here: A Little Dream in Rio in my Etsy Shop 

cheers!
Brandy