Pencil Study first Portrait Class image from National Geographic Dorothy dhunter Adams

Wanting to return to my passion – art in all forms, I looked into signing up for an evening drawing course at St. Clair College and the University of Windsor in 1974. To my disappointment all the art classes were full and pencil portrait drawing class with Michele Binette was the only class with vacancies.

I made the decision to sign up for the course. At least this would jump-start my art interest and would be a whole new learning curve which I was quite apprehensive about but so eager to learn.

We were instructed to find a photograph of interest, which was a challenge; and so I thumbed through a National Geographic magazine knowing full well the photos would be quite a contest.

A photo of a weathered old man caught my eye. I chose newsprint to do my portrait subject as we weren’t instructed to use good quality paper. Oh how wrong a decision this turned out to be. Under the expert tutelage of Michele Binette in his life drawing and painting classes, my Old Man portrait turned out to be exceptionally beautiful, much to my amazement.

To this day I always use good quality paper when drawing or painting. Now portraits are my new passion.