Kamala Harris called teen to thank him for viral portrait

Last weekend, Bay area teen artist Tyler Gordon uploaded a time-lapse video of himself painting a portrait. Gordon has posted many videos like this before. The inspiration behind this particular piece was none other than Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris.

Tyler Gordon with his portrait of Kamala Harris (via NBC Bay Area)

Photo: Twitter/ @official_tylerg

Gordon tweeted, “@KamalaHarris My name is Tyler Gordon and I’m 14 years old and I live in the Bay Area! I painted this picture of you and I hope you like it!! Please Rt and tag her so that she can see this. Please!!” He went on to mention President-elect Joe Biden and Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff in the tweet.

Since then, the tweet has garnered more than 17,000 retweets and over 60,000 likes. Gordon shared with his followers that it took him exactly 51 minutes to finish the piece and it was his first time painting Harris. He chose this subject because she inspired him to overcome his own obstacles.

“With my stutter, me being deaf since I was six, breaking my leg and being in a wheelchair for about two years, so I’ve been through a lot and I’ve also broken through tons of barriers and I feel like she also relates to that sort of thing,” Gordon shared with NBC Bay Area.

The teen had high hopes that Harris would eventually see his painting and find a spot for it in the White House. What he didn’t expect was a call from the former California senator, who expressed her utmost gratitude.

“I’m overwhelmed with just the magnificence of your artistry,” Harris said on the phone call. “You really have a gift, my goodness, such a gift. I was so touched to see it.”

Gordon, who clearly couldn’t contain his happiness, was all smiles by the end of their call. Just earlier this month, he received the Global Child Prodigy 2020 award and Global Kids Achiever Award.

Gordon’s Twitter page is full of more of his masterpieces that feature celebrities such as Lebron James, Cardi B, and Janet Jackson to name a few.

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