Picture of Mary in May

This is a portrait of my eldest and youngest children which I finished a few months ago. At the time, I considered using the reference photo for a picture of Mary with the baby Jesus - but I didn't think it was quite right. The angle of my daughter's head meant that her face was too obscured to be able to adapt it to my interpretation of Our Lady.

I've done a lot of pictures of Mary, over the years - usually as gifts for family and friends. Sometimes, I've copied an Old Master's painting and, at other times, I've used a holy card as a reference. I normally adapt Our Lady's face to my vision of her, so the finished picture has always been slightly different to the original. This has usually happened subconsciously, as my own relationship with Mary has subtly influenced my work.

The picture below is one I did, about three years ago. The face in my picture is a bit more motherly than the original, probably because I personally relate to Mary as a mother, rather than as the young and simple girl of some pictures.

This time around, I want to do my own picture, using my own reference materials. I think I'll use one of my daughters as a model, though I'm still a little undecided about the pose. I hope my Mary will be gentle and motherly and serene - but, how to get this right?

Maybe, you can help me by telling me how you visualize Our Lady. Do you have a favourite picture of her?