JKPP: Kevin Henry

scratchboard, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

Another addition to the Julia Kay's Portrait Party. This was the first time I've ever tried scratchboard and OMG, it was so much fun! This is another artcard of Kevin Henry, another member of the portrait party. Couldn't quite get the detail I was going for but I finally realized that the idea is not photorealism! If you want to check out my Flickr page, it's here.

I have a long way to go to capture a person's likeness. It's super challenging, faces, I mean and I feel pretty good if it sort of looks like him/her. Sometimes I wonder what Henry must think of this. "Good God woman, you made me look like an old man!" or "Damn, my nostrils aren't that big ... are they?" But, I hope that my art, no matter how much I need to improve, will honor the person in some way and the subject will know that by trying to capture their likeness and essence, I welcome them into my life and brain ... because for a short time, they reside there. I mean, how many other people are gonna spend THAT much time staring at your left ear?!

Pugilicious!

watercolor, 7.5"x9" ($100 USD)

I couldn't resist painting this little guy because he was just too cute. And admittedly, I had more time so decided to paint a little larger this round. I was even able to bust out my larger paint brushes that had been neglected for so long.

I don't know about you but now I want one!

And about being creative ... I sure wish I could share with you what I feel inside when I paint or draw. It's like my insides are doing a happy dance and I get all jiggly inside. I forget to eat and just smile. I catch myself sometimes ... smiling, I mean, as if everything is right with the world.

Small format artcards

`Akala, Hawaiian raspberry, watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

Chicken in a window, pigma micron .005 and watercolor, 2.5" x 3.5" (Not for Sale)

Marmalade in the sun, watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

Water lilies, pigma micron pen .005 and watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

These little drawings and paintings remind me that I need to slow down, because I seem to be able to carve only bits and pieces of my day to do something I love. These take relatively little time to do and I can finish one in a couple hours, or less.

I mean, I love my job. I really do and I work with amazing people and I know I'm destined to be a botanist and conservationist. It's my life's work and I can't imagine a better mission ... but it does take its toll. Perhaps everyone in this middle age stage goes through this. Busy with kids, work, obligations, etc. Maybe it's just important to know what you love and fix our busy lives to keep doing the fun stuff along with all the harder stuff. Celebrate the bright spots, you know?