I've loved drawing and doodling for most of my life, and in about 1994 or so, I used colored pencils to draw four figures, dancing under a starry blue sky. I made one larger figure and three small figures. I decided the figures were representative of my children and myself at the time. I framed the picture and it hung in the hallway for four years. When I started painting, I thought it would be fun to try painting the family portrait in acrylics. I copied the drawing and that painting (Family Portrait, 1994) won an Honorable Mention in my first juried art competition at the Echo Street Gallery in Fresno, California. My kids and I thought I should paint an updated version and include our cat, Chance. In this painting, the kids have all grown as tall as I am, but we're still dancing our way through life together and happy.