Whenever I approach a portrait piece, I tend to paint my subject in a way that embodies their energy. The subject of this painting is my best friend and the photo itself is from the day she met her cat (which she would adopt shortly after). When I started this painting, I knew that I wanted to create shapes using very defined flat planes with minimal blending. As my process continued, I found myself adding textures, colors, and linework that helped me portray Viv’s energy. My best friend is the strongest, most resilient and optimistic person I know; she never fails to brighten up the room. I was determined to show this through the use of gradients and vibrant colors in this piece.

As I worked, I made sure to document some major stages of this painting (see below). Sometimes I have trouble trusting my own process, yet I always try to push through to the final product. Moving forward, I would like to stop worrying about every piece being “perfect”. There will always be the next canvas.