This is my portrait of Tracey Allyn Greene (with her cat, Poe) for the 2008 Portrait Swap. I had planned on painting Tracey in oils, but when I saw her photo with Poe, I quickly changed my mind. Poe is so adorable, I thought soft pastels on velour paper would compliment him best. Velour paper somehow adds a luminous quality, so I was confident it would be a good choice for Tracey as well. They’re both such beautiful subjects!