Sam drew this portrait at the age of eleven. He was captivated by the face of this African-American baby in a magazine, and said, "I'm going to draw that." He completed several studies of eyes and other facial features before bringing the "Portrait of Innocence" to life. The project took about 100 hours to complete.
He entered his drawing in the 2002 Woodinville Art Show and won 1st place.
Sam's art teacher believes that the peacefulness and joy in the face of this child is a mirror of Sam's feelings at his mother's recovery from cancer.