Morgan and Grace

The inspiration for this portrait arose after a particularly tough night shift in the NICU, knowing we would likely lose the tiny patient we tried so hard to save… but that didn’t stop us from trying.

When I got home, I watched the season 5 finale of Fear The Walking Dead to decompress. There were so many things about this episode that felt special to me. The perspective from which this scene was shot, that felt like I’d accidentally stumbled upon this conversation and made me feel lucky to witness it. These exquisite actors, breathing life into and in between the lines. Seeing these two characters finding glimpses of trust in what unfolds within and between them on their winding journey, fearing they might lose each other… and how that didn’t stop them from trying.

Venturing outside my usual graphite comfort zone, I wanted to challenge myself and try using color instead (a cheap children’s set of watercolors, to be exact). I didn’t quite pin down a specific style before I started — I just started. Along the way, I let the process guide me to the result.

Morgan and Grace (2020)
Watercolor on sketchbook paper, 21x30cm, 4 hours