The Girl in the Puddle

The following Link can be found at: trib.com:

"LANDER — Three-year-old Addison Romans was walking with her mother, Tara, just before she was fatally hit by a car this week, according to a law enforcement official.
Lander Police Chief Fred Cox said the two were walking out of the Lander community swimming pool when the toddler darted in front of a moving vehicle. The pool is adjacent to Starrett Junior High.
Cox said his department has pieced together the events leading up to Addison Romans’ death from witness reports and by reconstructing the scene with the help of the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
Paramedics worked to save the toddler, but she died at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the emergency room of the Lander hospital — not long after the accident.
Fremont County Coroner Ed McAuslan said Addison Romans died of trauma to her head and chest."

I cannot imagine what the parents are going through. Grief is an emotion taken for granted by those of us who have not yet lost. I have a three year old the same age as this girl, Addison. I remember feeling sick the day I heard the news of this accident.

One of my clients is Bott Monument Service. I really enjoy working with them because the go to great lengths to make sure the monument made for the death of a loved one is made with the utmost quality. Drew is one of the nicest people you could ever talk to. Well Drew contacted me to do some custom imagery for the headstone. It is a family headstone, erected and based mostly around their little girl Addison, but it is very large. It is actually in production right now, and as far as I understand, Drew has contracted with a stainless steel company in Chicago to have stainless ballons "floating" above the granite, with installed lighting for night time. I have seen designs of it, and I am excited to see how it turns out. One thing that Drew enjoys is thinking outside of the box when it comes to monuments. It has been a family business for over 135 years, so I imagine that you learn a few tricks of the trade in that time, as well as some desire to expand the possibilities of what a monument may constitute. At any rate, Drew's eye for design allows him to take risks that most people would not succeed at--and he does it well.

For the back of the monument, the family wanted an image of their daughter playing in a mud puddle, just after a rainstorm. I spoke with Tara, her mother, and she told me how Addison was always outside, with no concern for how dirty she might be getting, and fully enjoying the best that nature has to offer any child.

I understood the families desire to have a graphic made just right, so it was not easy. I knew this going in, but it did not make it easier. I have done portraiture for over 15 years. I love portraiture--but as any artist understands, there will always be new and unique challenges to face with any new project you receive, and this was no exception. I went through a lot of trial and error, photographing models and using images of the Roman's daughter that they had. I sweat A LOT. There were even times that I was not sure whether I was going to pull it off. I will not bore you of all the steps it took to get me to the final point, but when I got there...I was relieved, and excited:

This was a combination of photoshop, tablet drawing, and vector processing. It is a three-toned graphic, meaning that the mid-values will be steel-shot, and the dark values will be sandblasted. It is a large vector file, 22" by 20". I am very pleased with the result. Some things are very rewarding if you have to work hard to overcome the challenges.

I wish the Romans the best as they adopt to the fierce changes in their lives. Children are so precious, and no parent wishes to outlive their offspring. I do not believe she is simply gone, however. I believe Tara and Tony will see their girl again.