Category: Other
No Filter
December 13, 2025
I’ve written the following personal journal entry on April 22nd, 2025 – on the day I started drawing a bold, personal piece that I’m proud of (see the link to the full drawing below). Lately I’ve been reflecting a lot on my artistic process. One recurring theme is the question: how do I create just […]
Why I Took My More Daring Drawings Off Instagram
July 15, 2025
For the longest time, Instagram was my main window to the world – the place I shared my art, connected with models, and measured how well my work was received. Every once in a while, people ask me: How do you not get your posts flagged?To outsiders, it seems like I get away with things […]
“You can’t rush art.”
May 8, 2025
That’s what Noa’s husband told me when I apologized for taking so long to finish this portrait. I started it more than a year ago, and for a while, I wasn’t happy with it. I even stopped working on it completely for a few months. Something about the timing, the mood, the context – I […]
Drawing Beyond the Safe Zone
April 28, 2025
There’s a tension I’ve come to recognize in my work – a tension that became clearer to me after reading about Klimt. Klimt challanged the old distinction between the “pure” nude and the “dangerous” body. He saw the hypocrisy in pretending that some nudes were “high” and others “low,” depending on the context or the […]
On Drawing and Caring
April 26, 2025
When you spend hours, days, sometimes even months drawing someone — you inevitably invest a piece of your heart in them.Drawing someone is not just copying their features. It’s an act of devotion, of attention, of presence. But for the model, especially when working from a photo, it can be very different.One quick snapshot on […]
“She’s not going to pick the stairs.”
April 24, 2025
The Free Reference Monday (FRM) project was a 20-week journey led by Vilidian, a Spanish model living in Mexico. Every Monday she’d email a photo reference to draw, and feature the artists’ works on her IG account when we drew it. We had a week to complete each one. My weekends were consumed by pastel […]
Giving Credit Without Losing Yourself
April 23, 2025
I’ve always had a strong sense of fairness when it comes to the people I draw – especially the models who inspired my work. I remember even as a kid, instinctively siding with the girls during playground debates. That tendency stuck. I’ve often gone out of my way to credit the models, even trying to […]
Don’t Open the Oven Too Soon
April 22, 2025
There’s a moment right after a drawing flows effortlessly – sparked by a reference that arrived at just the right time – when the temptation to share is huge. It feels like joy, like connection, like a win that wants to be seen. Sometimes, especially with a quick sketch, sharing right away does amplify that joy. It’s […]
Between Gratitude and Uncertainty
April 20, 2025
A few thoughts on what it’s like to post figure drawings on Instagram in 2025 There’s something exhausting about sharing art in a space that feels both like a home and a minefield. Some of you know what I’m talking about – Instagram – the most popular social network among artists, curators, models and art […]
Young and Wild
April 19, 2025
A few weeks ago, I posted a drawing on Instagram that got a strong response — lots of likes, comments, and even private messages. One model commented, “sweet Jesus ?.” It felt like a success. The drawing was based on a reference from someone I didn’t know personally. She mentioned it was taken during her […]
Clarity, vulnerability, and the kind of art that lives on
April 17, 2025
There are pieces I made when I was wide open. Vulnerable. In love, or in pain, or somewhere in between. DraSome of my work came from being completely wide open. Vulnerable. In love, or hurting, or caught somewhere between the two. I’d draw not just to capture someone, but to hold onto moments that mattered […]
The Thousand Yard Stare
April 16, 2025
Three years ago, around this time of year, I painted this portrait of Vilidian. Acrylic on paper — one of the few I ever completed in this medium. Oddly, the portrait that first inspired her to start the Free Reference Mondays project was also an acrylic portrait. Maybe this medium holds some kind of beginning […]