Essence

Essence: the inward nature, true substance, or constitution of anything, as opposed to what is accidental, phenomenal, illusory. Synonyms:substance, spirit, lifeblood, heart, principle, soul, core.

This past March, I began a new series entitled, “Essence”. I think I have finally found a sort of rhythm and am excited to see the pieces coming together.

I decided to focus on a woman’s back as a visual representation of her inner strength and beauty. The models I am using are all women in my life, and I am striving to portray their essence through the portraits. I am interviewing each subject with questions such as: “When do you feel most beautiful?”, “What makes you most glad to be you?”, “What is something you wish people knew about you that usually takes them awhile to find out?”, and “Where/when do you feel most yourself?”. With each piece, my goal is to chose a reference photo, lines, and colors that somehow portray the subject’s answers to these questions. And then, of course, there is the influence of my knowledge of each woman as a dear friend.

I hope to have 12 to 15 pieces when I am finished, and I am looking for a place to show them. All the pieces are 22” x 30” on watercolor paper. I’m using sharpies and watercolor pencils. Feel free to let me know what you think!