My Why

For a brief moment time did stand still.

It was just me and my iPad pencil, who knew that would feel so magical? A sweet escape.

The portrait side of my business had started gaining some momentum.

The kind of momentum when clients start to span beyond your friend group or even your “friend of friend” group. I was eight months pregnant, then nine months, and then my due date came and went.

In those last few weeks of pregnancy, I was grateful for the distraction of drawing portraits and delivering them to clients. It was something to pass the time and to take my mind off of the impending labour.

But then I had a newborn, and things shifted. Those hazy newborn days that blurred into nights. I suddenly wasn’t looking for time to pass more quickly, I wanted it to stand still. To catch my breath. I had only been home from the hospital for 36 hours when I picked up a portrait commission. It was a black and white rendering of the most stunning editorial wedding shot. It seemed like the sort of thing to maybe postpone for a few more days, but instead I got in the zone and started drawing.

For a brief moment, time did stand still. It was just me and an iPad pencil, who knew that would feel so magical!? A sweet escape.

That portrait turned out to be one of my favourite portraits to date. In the weeks that followed, my down time came at night time and in two hour increments. I would either sleep or draw (but mostly sleep). Why share this story??

Because I know I’m going to look back on my art practice one day and it will be easy to gloss over those blurry days. But they were important days that would go on to shape so many decisions and ideas in the year that followed.

Some of those ideas have already come to life and I can’t wait to share more.