Envisage by Olena Babak

“Winter is the time when I have a chance to spend days in the studio and work on figurative projects. This portrait started as a study for a painting and then it took a life of its own. I often use charcoal to explore my ideas before going into paint as it is a very relaxing and meditative time. Here, I was trying to capture a fleeting moment when an idea comes to you. The smile represents the appreciation of it, the raised hand is the willingness for it, and the birds are the ebb and flow of creative energy. I prefer to use charcoal in most of my drawings. It gives me a range of values where I can easily achieve a delicate or expressionistic surface, without reaching for any other materials.” - Olena Babak