ARDEN LEE

Arden was seven when I painted her in 2002. She has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA,) a degenerative disease similar to Lou Gehrig's but which affects children. She is smart in school and lively and a total kid. Painting children is one of the hardest things to do and Arden was no exception. She squirmed and demanded that all her favorite books be read to her. At the breaks she'd be lifted to the floor so she could play with her enormous cache of Barbie dolls. Her Barbies had many outfits and sets including a disco, a pony, and, naturally, a wheelchair.