Let Me Help You Tell Your Story

This is a commission I did for my friend Marlena’s Christmas present to her husband.  She and her family went to Japan last year and when I saw the picture I thought *oh yes please* let me draw it!  Marlena’s initial idea was to do a portrait of the three of them, but I love that she decided to do something different–a moment in their family’s life instead.  I think this picture is the closest I have come to Herge greatness.  Tintin remains one of my treasured influences from childhood.  I always wanted to draw like Herge, but could never get the details or crisp color in even ONE picture, never mind a page of SEVERAL pictures.  When I finished this picture I thought: “Blistering Barnacles!  If only my 11 year old self could see me now!”

I’ve never done commissions before and I have to say they are some of my favorite things I’ve done artistically.  I love helping people tell their story.  I never realized that illustrated portraits could do that–but it feels like a key into my heart’s work. I am a story person.  I write stories, I draw stories, I love listening to stories, and reading stories.  Among all that I think my “philosophy” that has shown up here and in my two books is so much about acknowledging and seeing what IS happening in our CURRENT lives instead of the potential of what we hope for in the future, or what we see other people living.  My illustration work has come to encompass that in my own life, but now I see it in other people’s lives through the commissions. I think this is what I want to do when I grow up–to help people tell their stories.  It feels so exciting to me to think that maybe I can.

Thank you to Marlena for letting me help tell this story and to my other clients this last year.  Anybody want help telling their story?  Just drop me a line.