Teen Girl Portrait Commission

Sydnie and her brother Evan were commissioned together by their grandparents and intended to hang as companion portraits. Because Sydnie’s portrait was painted first, Marvin focused entirely on creating a painting that reflected his experience of her personality and presence, without yet knowing exactly how Evan’s portrait would eventually look.

Marvin felt Sydnie possessed a quiet and thoughtful quality that called for a softer and more understated approach. He wanted the portrait to evoke the same sense of curiosity that has fascinated viewers of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa for centuries—the feeling that there is something just beyond what can be easily explained. Rather than revealing everything at once, the portrait invites the viewer to wonder what Sydnie might be thinking.

Marvin chose clothing and colors that would harmonize with her complexion and create a gentle, unified feeling throughout the painting. The dark sweatshirt merges with the hair, helping to frame the face and draw attention to her striking blue eyes. The hand resting against her face contributes to the relaxed and natural pose while reinforcing the intimate quality of the portrait.

The editors of The Artist’s Magazine were so taken with the portrait that they chose it for the cover of the magazine and featured Marvin’s work in a special article. For Marvin, however, the portrait’s greatest success lies in its ability to preserve something of Sydnie herself at this particular moment in her life while inviting viewers to return to it again and again.