Being Seen is a series of oil pastel portraits that were created during a weekly online drawing exercise sponsored by Drawing is Free. Hundreds of people from around the world attend via Zoom to draw each other. You draw a face for the length of a song (3-5 minutes) from whoever is chosen to pose. Having to work quickly and instinctively provides an immediacy to the drawing experience, eliminating any overthinking and perfectionism in your work. Working on prepped backgrounds creates spontaneous and unexpected mark making and meshing of materials. Drawing another person is a profound experience and an opportunity to embrace our shared humanity. When viewing these portraits, I invite you to recognize aspects of yourself, discover shared traits with others, and to ultimately feel seen. The titles of these pieces are songs from the playlists created by Chloe Briggs, founder of Drawing is Free.

Being Seen is a solo exhibition at The Art Hall in Portland, Oregon in 2025.