It started with a colleague, a nurse taking vacation time to attend a mission with her church. I asked her to take along some paper and pastels in her medical bag to occupy the children while they waited for medical treatment. With what seemed like new-found treasures, the children drew precious scenes of their homes, families, and what they valued most in their lives.
I have never experienced such raw emotion in the wonderful drawings I have been rewarded with.
They now decorate the walls of people's homes; a symbol of pure joy and a
simple pleasure we take for granted every day.
I now take the reference photos and use them for portraits.
Huancayo, Peru
When studying the people of the region, I adjusted my color palette
to account for the redness from wind and sun. I then lay out all the pastels
for one particular portrait at a time.
This usually takes up a bit of space in the studio
and I'm definitely limited on space.
I've received 1500 plus references for
Nicaragua.
I am currently working on that region, before heading back to Peru.