Pairs with:

Statement from the Artist:

These two drawings bookend a journey that spans more than three decades. The first, a portrait of my father drawn as a birthday gift nearly thirty-five years ago, was created when I was a young adult. At the time, I drew instinctively, motivated by affection and the desire to capture someone I loved and looked up to tremendously. Although technically modest, the sketch reveals an early fascination with expression, light, and the quiet individuality of a face. This work was done using a combination of multiple photo references and observation while my father was still alive. Now that he is no longer with us, I consider this one of my best works, not in skill but in intention and personal value.

Life then took me in a different direction. After a career in technology and many years away from sustained artistic practice, I returned to drawing during the pandemic with renewed purpose. What began as rediscovering an old skill gradually became a disciplined pursuit of observation and craftsmanship.

The second portrait, Elsa, reflects that growth. The drawing is built on years of learning to see more carefully, understanding form through light, describing volume with deliberate mark-making, and allowing every value change to contribute to the whole. Yet despite the technical differences between the two works, I recognize the same motivation behind both. Whether drawing someone as familiar as my father or someone I met only briefly, I am more interested in revealing presence than recording a simple likeness.

The years between these portraits changed my skills far more than they changed my purpose. Drawing has become an act of sustained attention, a way of slowing down to discover character, resilience, vulnerability, and quiet dignity. Every portrait is an invitation to look beyond appearance and to acknowledge the humanity of another person.

Seen together, these works remind me that artistic development is not a straight line. It unfolds through life experience, interruption, rediscovery, and perseverance.