Profile in Pastels (Portrait)

For this portrait, I tried a spatula tool in oil painting for the first time. I loved the way it blended color while building a more dimensional surface, letting the paint feel almost sculptural in places.

The painting gathers a few of my favorite details: needlework with a ball of yarn and needles, my ponytail, earrings, and glasses. They turn the portrait into something personal, full of the everyday things that feel most like me.

I also wanted the signature to be part of the composition. Instead of keeping my name and the year small and nearly invisible, I made them bold enough to belong to the painting’s overall design.