Rhonda & Evan, Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

This is a portrait of a friend and her son that I did one one night some years ago. Evan must be nearly grown up by now! (The second glass of wine was mine, not Evan’s, in case any one is wondering.)

Just wanted to plug the new blog of a good friend, Brad Reid, who has also started posting for Illustration Friday. Brad not only went to art school with me, but he’s been a life-long friend of my husband. He helped us move just before Christmas — he drove the U-Haul, and even cleaned the fridge, for which this pregnant woman will be forever grateful. An extremely talented and award-winning painter (you can see one of my favourite pieces here), Brad has packed in his brushes to follow the dream of becoming an illustrator. Somebody give this man a job!

We are almost unpacked, and my easel is set up and ready to go, so I’ll be posting more recent work over the next few months. I seem to be over the worst of the morning sickness and intend to make the most of my energy and time while I can.

Piano Man, Oil on Paper; © Jennifer Pohl

My interpretation of Illustration Friday this week is quite literal, in that this is a very small painting. I remember it being not much bigger than an index card. But the smallest paintings I have ever done are each only about the size of a pinky nail. If you would like you can see them in an earlier post: It’s Not the Size that Counts.

I may not be able to post new work for the next few weeks while we are busy moving. I’m also fending off morning sickness. It was much easier last pregnancy (when I had a boy), and somebody tells me that this sickness is a sign of having a girl. I’m not sure that’s very scientific, but you never know. Once I have a new workspace set up, I’m looking forward to getting back to the egg tempera, and am excited about trying my hand at pastels.

Update: I should have saved this piece for this week’s Illustration Friday word, which is blue. I wouldn’t usually submit it twice in a row, but take it easy on me! I’m pregnant and up to my ears in cardboard boxes. Less than a week to moving date. P.S.: I heard my baby’s heart beat this week.

Reading Dorian Gray (Portrait of the Artist’s Sister), Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

I’ve always loved to paint people with presence and it’s once of the reasons I’ve painted my sister so often and will likely do so many times again. I’ve chosen this detail of a small painting to represent the word from this week’s Illustration Friday. A portrait of my sister could have equally represented many words: witty, unique, intelligent, quirky and passionate, but more than anything she has great strength of character.

Body and Soul, Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

I don’t think it’s possible to be human and not feel broken at least once in a lifetime.

On the day I started this piece, broken was how I felt — it was why I had to do this painting. I started working by the light of one candle in the evening and couldn’t see the colours on the canvas as I worked through the night. By the time the sun came through the window the next morning, I had finished. And I felt whole again.