When artist Yvonne Kozlina was a child, she stumbled upon a magazine article about illustrator Everett Raymond Kinstler that included preliminary sketches of the Kennedy family.

Even as a young girl in the early years of the Kennedy administration, she knew she wanted to be an artist.

"I remember thinking that I would love to paint a portrait of a president one day," she said at her Fifth Avenue Place art studio kiosk on the mezzanine.

Moved and inspired by Kinstler's work, the South Side resident achieved her goal of becoming one of the region's most accomplished portrait artists a long time ago. A month ago, Kozlina kept another promise she made to herself -- she painted a luminous portrait of President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.

Make a left from the escalator at Fifth Avenue Place and the portrait is hard to miss. The 30-by-40-inch oil painting occupies the center wall of Kozlina's studio alcove.

"I wasn't trying to go for the minute detail of my pencil work," she said of her impressionistic but realistic rendering of the first couple. "I was working quickly from magazine photos. I wanted them to look as if they just walked into the picture -- sparkly and effervescent."

The painting of the Obamas has attracted more attention than any other painting or drawing she has displayed at her Fifth Avenue Place studio during the past two decades. Even folks who hate Mr. Obama's politics tell Ms. Kozlina they're impressed with the portrait.

"A woman came by the other day and said that I ought to get this to the president [during the G-20]," Kozlina said with a laugh. "Just think," she continued quoting the woman, "a nobody like you did a painting of the president."

She would love to get a portrait of the Obamas to them while they're in town for the G-20, but she doesn't know how to reach them.

"I had hoped to have individual pencil drawings of each member of the family, including their daughters, but I ran out of time," she said. "I wanted to do a tribute to the whole family." Only a detailed drawing of the first lady adorns her studio wall.

Kozlina hasn't given up hope of somehow getting the portrait to the Obamas. So many of her dreams have come true so far, she's not about to stop hoping now.