Essence

Continuing my thoughts from the previous post, sometimes in a portrait the likeness is elusive; but sometimes it doesn't matter so much, because what you want to capture is the essence of that person, not every mole and wrinkle and blonde streak.

That's the case in this little drawing that is also of my friend Bix, but that captures the "real" person we who have experienced her hospitality at Bandouille would recognize. The pictures in my mind of Bix are two: One is of a vivacious hostess, sitting at the farmhouse table drawing everyone out and making them feel that whatever they are saying is fascinating (it usually wasn't, we drank a lot of wine), while the other is of the quiet, focused person who, whether she is cooking delectable dishes in her kitchen or sitting on the sidelines of an art workshop (in what must be an uncomfortable chair), is turned inward, so focused on creation that you can almost feel the force.

This little picture is what I see when I picture Bixxy, so rather than try another realistic portrait, here is the essence of Bix.

Uniball pen, Paul Jackson watercolors, in Bee Sketchbook.