Bram Ebenezer

I've finally finished this drawing of Bram. It's actually almost life-size, which isn't saying much since he weighs all of four pounds. I'm fairly pleased with it for a change, although each time I look at it I can easily see what I should have done differently and what's not quite "right." Believe it or not, given my penchant for drawing my dogs, I have no other sketches of either one in the works right now. Instead I'm working on two self portraits and a pastel of a room in my house. I think I've done the dog thing to death at this point, but that said, I'm sure I'll be back drawing one or the other of them again soon. It's an addiction of sorts. I've been asked countless times why I draw them so much and do I ever draw anything else? And the answer to those two questions are "because I like to draw them" and "yes, loads of other things, in addition to all the paintings that you'll never see here online." If Monet can paint dozens of paintings of the Cathedral at Rouen or haystacks or his lily pond over and over and over again, then why can't I draw the same two dogs over and over again? I hate being defensive about my art, but I also hate feeling as though I am being forced to defend my art.

Full Body Sketch of Bram Standing, graphite on paper, 2009