K.I.S.S.

I love doing gesture drawings -- the process of it. The feeling of being able to let go of the outcome and just be totally in the physical moment -- how the pencil feels in my hand, translating what I see with my eyes into movements on the page.

Compared to yesterday, I can feel myself “tighten up” -- and start to ask if what I am doing matches what I see. I have to try consciously not to have any judgments about the face I see in the mirror but rather focus on it as I would drawing a plant or a bowl of fruit. Ha ha... you can see the tension in my face!

TBT

This was really fun... I’m amused at my younger self. I love this picture in particular because there’s so much about me that is still exactly like this!

I (heart) me

The picture was taken by my BFF when we were in Monterey, CA. It was such a special weekend and I remember feeling so completely in my body.

5. MIX IT UP

Brush and ink! I think this is a bit of how I see myself as well. A little deer-caught-in-headlights look.

6. I AM...

I had to play with this for a bit. Is it my eyes? My hair? My mouth. Okay. Mouth.

7. AVATAR

Does this look like me?

8. INSIDE OUT

Playing with an earlier sketch and the idea of feelings being masks....

9. SAFE PLACE

Smooshed in a chair beside my grandpa has always been my safe place.

10. REFLECTIONS

I've been working on children's books. AND my word this year is PLAY so....

I loved the ones where I was more loose and expressive. Medium played a big part in that. There’s something about those sketches that are MORE authentic, even though they are less representational. I'm going to  keep pushing myself beyond resemblance to my inspiration image and towards capturing the energy and authenticity in a portrait, and spending time with brush and ink to do it.