Ted Kennedy

Oil, 50x40

Most political portraits are uninspiring: a fashion-less man leaning on his desk, flag in background, wife in frame, modestly cheerful expression. For the unabashedly liberal Ted Kennedy, another conservative portrait would simply not due. The "Lion of the Senate" deserves a portrait more reflective of his character - one that conveys strength, leadership, and fortitude.

I wanted to shock some life into those dusty colonial columns.  Red and green were specifically chosen for a few reasons.  They mimic the yea or nay lights used for voting on bills in congress. Secondly, they're a fitting sailing reference to the buoys which lead mariners along safe passages. His two brothers were also in my head, who stood as pillars of government in their own right.