Deanna; charcoal and white conté on 18 x 24" toned paper; Spring, 2025.

Bela invited her mom, Deanna, to model for Portrait Club a few months back in the small studio atop the stairs at Gage Academy's South Lake Union office space atelier. The room was full, but fortunately I was able to set up an easel just shy of a three-quarter view. I could sense a bit of nervous expectation from Deanna being her first time posing for a room of artists for three hours. However, after the first or second twenty minute session, she eased into the modeling chair with confidence. Toward the end of the session I promised Deanna a cleaned up photo of the finished drawing, which I finally made good on.