A graphite study that honors the enduring dignity of human character and the power of expression, capturing moments that reveal the grace, struggle, and spirit of a moment in time.
The Portraits & Expressions Collection explores dignity, emotion, and individuality through graphite and charcoal portrait studies. Focused on observation and expression, the works capture moments of composure, vulnerability, and presence, revealing how character and emotion are communicated through subtle shifts in gaze, posture, and tone.
Drawing from traditions of classical portraiture and early photographic studies, the collection is organized into three categories that reflect both subject and approach. Little Expressions examines instinctive, early emotion through Baby Crying and Baby Cheerful, where expression is spontaneous. Vintage Poise presents modern subjects through a historical lens in Mademoiselle and Mademoiselle’s Son, emphasizing posture, elegance, and a timeless sense of character. Charcoal Portraits expands the collection through deeper contrast and atmospheric shading in Emily and Kathryn, where charcoal becomes central to conveying strength and presence. Together, these categories show how expression evolves across age, era, and medium while remaining grounded in careful observation.
The Process
Each portrait was approached as a focused study of tone, texture, and expression, following the structure of the collection’s categories. In Little Expressions, Baby Crying explored abandonment and vulnerability through furrowed brows, a gaping mouth, and soft tonal blending, capturing the immediacy of an infant’s distress. Baby Cheerful contrasts this emotion with a moment of pure delight, using gentle shading to emphasize wide, bright eyes and an open, joyful expression full of energy and innocence.
The Vintage Poise works shift toward historical character and composure. In Mademoiselle, soft pencil work and charcoal accents emphasize the contrast between her dark clothing and the delicate detail of her veil, while her raised gloved hand and tilted hat suggest quiet confidence drawn from early twentieth-century style. Mademoiselle’s Son required controlled pencil lines to build the texture of his jacket, shirt, and cap, with careful attention to structure and gaze to convey heritage and quiet strength.
The Charcoal Portraits rely on blended shading and strong tonal contrast. In Emily, layered charcoal shapes the figure’s face beneath a straw hat against a shadowed backdrop, creating depth and presence. Kathryn uses expressive strokes and tonal variation to balance strength and sophistication, emphasizing form through confident mark-making. Several works from the collection were prepared for exhibition, including Baby Crying for the Abandoned Exhibition at the Grand Theater Gallery in May 2025, and Emily and Kathryn, which were featured in the Portrait Exhibition in May 2025, Mademoiselle at art display at the The Lewisville Playhouse in June 2025, and Baby Cheerful in the Gift of Art Exhibition in December 2025.
Inspiration & Meaning
The Portraits & Expressions Collection centers on the lasting language of portraiture—how faces and expressions communicate individuality while reflecting shared human experience. From instinctive emotion to composed presence, each drawing captures a moment where character is revealed through line and tone. Across graphite and charcoal, youth and age, realism and atmosphere, the collection honors the dignity found in everyday expression, reminding viewers that human presence, even in its quietest form, continues to connect people across time.
See Little Expressions, Vintage Poise, and Charcoal Portraits in the Portraits & Expressions Collection
