Crying Child

This is a portrait of the artist’s son, made with love and empathy to capture the expression of his emotions. Darius Steward painted this watercolor the same year he won the Cleveland Arts Prize, Emerging Artist Award. Steward studies the everyday lives of his family and community, sometimes composing his images from unusual points of view. This is part of a series that he did of children’s actions and expressions. It is also a stunning example of the expressive capabilities of watercolor, used in concert with the white of the background paper to provide the illusion of light cast on the boy’s face.