I CAN SEE THE HOLIDAYS!

This week's portrait, Sonia!

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. It's so weird that with all the changes going on in my life right now that this is the first time in 6 years I actually feel like enjoying this holiday season. I started listening to Christmas music weeks ago. 

I’ve been working hard on several art projects. I am trying to finish enough new art works to put up on my long overdue, updated “Totally Graphic” website. As a result, the weekly portrait project has fallen from the back seat right into the trunk. It almost stayed there for the rest of the year if it wasn’t for a profile that came up on my Instagram.

She is not a celebrity as far as I can tell and definitely not someone I know, but her profile picture stood out to me, She looked like Christmas! Yeah, I know it sounds crazy. But looking at her I felt like I was seeing the holiday as if it had taken human form. I felt instantly inspired and decided to take a break from my other undertakings to revisit the portrait project.

I tried to put on paper what I felt I was seeing when I looked at Sonia's photos, but of course, my scanner just can’t seem to reproduce the bright colors and gold tones that are in the final art. The hair has the effect of Christmas lights: you can almost feel them going on and off. And the background has the look of gift wrapping paper, the idea being, here’s Christmas and everything that’s great about it being presented to you, the viewer.

This is the second time in my life that I saw someone who looked like the holiday and inspired me to created them on paper as such. I think we all have the holiday to some degree coming through us at this time of the year, but some people just seem to strip away the commercialism and make you see and feel happy.

Seeing Sonia made me feel happy!

I think I’ll try to get one or two more portraits in now before the year is over; though I have so much to do, art work, class homework and prepare for a Convention.

January 25 to the 28, I will be hosting Cosplay Life Drawing again at Anime Los Angeles at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario!

Back in January of this past year, I did 2 events at this convention which were incredibly FUN! I had two awesome costumed models, and both days brought in large crowds of artists. I expect this coming year to be even bigger. If you’re free that weekend get in your car and come down, this is one of those great conventions that has found its perfect size, not too big, not too small, with enough activities going on straight into the night that you’ll never have time to be bored. Plus of course, there will be drawing events.

A perfect way to enjoy Anime and start the New Year!!