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Dora (2022)
This is a charcoal drawing of Dora, the eldest of my cats. Much of the attention is focused on her face, while the rest of the drawing is made to look faded. Her arm and the background surrounding her is faded, looking as if she is in an ethereal space and/or being pulled into it. One reason for this, and for other pieces, was to imply the concept of mortality. Cats are such finite creatures and will eventually pass someday, whether we like it or not. Dora may not have long left, but this portrait is a commemoration to her legacy and all the sweetness and joy she has brought to those around her.
Ollie
I also draw pet dogs, and this is just one of the dog portraits I have done. This is Ollie, an Australian Shepherd, sitting inside a car. I made the conscious decision of fading out the car background and bring Ollie into focus, which I do often as a stylistic choice. I was sent a number of different photos, but this one stuck out to me since it was taken right at the moment of tilting the head, which I felt was a perfect moment to replicate via charcoal.
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Atticus
This is a charcoal drawing of my cat Atticus, one of the sweetest, most sociable cats you will ever know. This is a still photo of him when he was able to cooperate with me, the one who took the photo. He is sitting on a scratching post tree with his arm rested on the edge and his eyes slightly looking off to the side, such an iconic posture. The background is blackened to accentuate his figure and the part of the tree on which he rests. The details are more impressionistic but still captures his likeness.
Maverick
Another dog drawing, and certainly one of my favorite pieces. This is a closeup of my aunt's black labrador Maverick. I was sent numerous photos, and this one was an easy choice, since I felt I could capture all the little details as well as his expression.
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Through the Storm
I can also draw other animals, and besides cats and dogs, tigers are up there as one of my favorite animals to freehand. This is was a collaboration with my brother, which ended up being a Father's Day gift for my dad. I always find side profiles to give empowerment to the subject and speak louder than words.
Captivity
Another charcoal drawing of a tiger. This time, someone had showed me a photo she took of a tiger at the Wild Animal Park (or San Diego Zoo, I couldn't remember). This was more freehanded than focused on photorealism, but I still felt it pointed to the narrative of holding wild animals captive in zoos as well as that of how tigers are an endangered species.
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In Homage to Freckles
This is a charcoal drawing of a black cat named Freckles whom I had grown up visiting from time to time at a farm in Kansas. He unfortunately passed away after living there for a little over 15 years. Surprisingly, he was not feral like most of the cats there. For this piece, I referenced a photo of him sitting on my lap and focused much of the detail on his face and eyes. The latter always fascinated me about him, since they are actually golden yellow. (Perhaps I should have done the eyes in color...) The left eye is damaged most likely due to getting in a fight with another wild animal. This makes Freckles a warrior and a great lap cat at the same time. As for the background, I turned it into this ethereal space. I do this with a lot of my subjects, especially those who have passed away and left behind a profound impact on others. The ethereal quality of the background makes it seem as though the subject's soul is floating through one's memory, never to be forgotten.
Lola
This is a charcoal drawing of my aunt and uncle's rescue Lola, laying in her fur donut bed looking as if she was just waken from a nap. Interestingly the top of one of her ears is naturally flopped down while the other stands upright. Either way, the difference in the ears was something that made this drawing unique, apart from the fur donut bed.
