For artist Kathryn Andrews Fincher, painting is not only her profession but also her passion. Portraying children and their fascinating expressions has become her consuming inspiration.

Although a student of art since her teens, Fincher was in her early thirties before painting replaced professional water skiing as her career. (She was once the number-two-ranked trick skier in the nation). Fincher's mother, a portrait artist, continually encouraged her daughter to paint faces, which seemed to work in contrast to the young painter's desires. Fincher commenced her painting career with a primary focus on wildlife and landscapes; however, after she painted her first child's face in an image titled "First Look," the artist had found her niche.

As the artist explains, "Children, with their many discoveries and expressions, and their constant developmental changes in the very early years, are a wealth of visual stories." Fincher adds, "I fall in love time after time with the faces of my own children and those of family and friends."

"When I discovered that one little shadow or slight change of the angle in a child's mouth could change an entire expression, I was hooked," says Fincher. "I am not interested in painting unrealistic, perfect children sitting up straight with their knees together, but rather that moment when a child is consumed with studying something or on the brink of a new discovery."

Fincher's goal is to avoid painting the obvious. It is the expressions on children's faces when they are on the brink of experiencing something new that the artist strives to capture. Even the wonderment of viewing life in different forms, such as insects and fish, can be fascinating. "I love to tell stories, and what better avenue than through the face of a child," says the artist.

Upon close observation, you will find inspiration in each of the artist's captivating images. Through Fincher's art, her children will touch you, giving you the opportunity to return to that spirit of youth and innocence each of us so fondly remembers.

Kathryn Andrews Fincher resides near Atlanta with her husband and their two children.