It all started when I wanted some of my wonderful friends closer to me. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and I had a bit of a battle ahead. I wanted to see my friends and family’s faces and feel their presence, I needed their friendship in a visible way, as well as physically and emotionally. In some cases, those people were more than 5000 miles away and the only option was a drawing or a photograph. I decided I would draw portraits; a drawing is so much more personal than a photograph and it really helped me, it meant so much. I loved drawing portraits and so I just carried on doing them. The portraits also form the basis of my Best Friends project.
I have also always admired artists who work in portraiture. It’s great to draw a portrait and include elements that reflect the sitter’s character and heritage. While I love drawing unreal things, I also like to be able to draw realistically.
You can commission a portrait of you, a friend, or relative. The portraits are 7.5” X 11.5” (19cm X 29cm) or 11" X 14" (28cm X 35.5cm) drawn in pencil with a detailed background that in some way reflects the sitter and their life or connection to another person.
