My friend and collector, Betsy, is a mom of two little girls, Callie and Cecilia. Betsy was one of my first collectors, way back in the day when i was just starting out as a portrait artist.

I don't often paint children as young as one (most of the kids I paint are between 2 and 6), but Callie's portrait is one of my favorite. 

I love her expression and the brushstrokes.

Recently I finished her younger sister Ceclia's portrait.

Cecelia was a little spit-fire. She was all over the place, playing with her toys and getting into everything.

When I asked Betsy what the most important things she tries to teach her child are, she said "I try to teach my children that practicing and not being perfect at something is part of growing up.  Taking risks, being creative,  and challenging yourself is great. It's more important to try hard at something than it is to always do something exactly right."

As a working mom, Betsy says she pushes multi-tasking to the limits. But she's OK if not everything gets done. She realizes she can't be great at everything. 

A lot of the moms I talk to say the same thing, and want to just be in the moment with their child instead of worrying about everything being perfect.

They want their kids to know they are loved for who they are, not what they do. And I think that's the most valuable thing you can teach them:)