Original artwork description:

During our first meeting Heziel drew a simple still life in black and white, almost as Henri Matisse himself would have drawn. Then he asked timidly if wine bottles and fruits are allowed in the still lives of New Year's eve. Later he just stared at his laptop, quietly, and I drew, also quietly. In the painting "The Boy Observes Nature" I added Dame Nature to his universe, because the hospital bed seems like a very clean prison.
The project “Angels as Models” started as a creative accident. Children in Oncology department were often too tired and weak to participate in evening art workshops. Nevertheless they were bright and inteligent personalities so I asked hazardly if they would like to engage in art process in a passive way, as models. It demanded a certain level of mutual trust and acquiantance, as it was a question most people never hear in their lives. The experience of becoming a portrait model in an old-fashioned way of painting and observing requires the utmost luxury of our age: time. The tragic and fortunate coincidence of reality in Oncology department is that nobody has anywhere to hurry. Treatments are long and exhausting so everyone is forced to slow down.
The experience of model-artists relationship can be linked to the ancient tantric practice of eye gazing, which can be transformed into respectful attentiveness, benevolent contemplation of other person. The artist respects and distinguishes emotional and physical traits with admiration and care while depicting it. It can help at moments when the model feels insecure or depressed about his/her appearance (in cases of of illness or old age, for example). It serves as a tangible proof of person's outer and inner beauty because it is perceived and captured on paper. The long and painstaking painting process itself serves as proof of worthiness of a model: people in doubt receive an evidence of their value as human beings. “Do you see what I see?” I ask, while the model ponders at the drawing.
It is painted on 300 g/m² Arches watercolor paper and not framed.

Materials used:

Watercolor, ink and pastel on paper

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