A friend commissioned me to paint a portrait of him and his girlfriend for their first anniversary. He provided a great photo reference, which captured a serene moment the two shared over the breakfast table.

In planning my approach to this painting, I drew inspiration from Vermeer and Hopper, and particularly their use of light, color and composition in their work. Both artists are also known for painting compositions that depict very unobtrusive, everyday scenes - much like the one depicted here.