Persistence

Here I’m exploring the quiet strength that emerges from deep self-assurance. This portrait, rendered in soft pastels against a deep blue-grey background, captures a face that seems to hold both gentleness and determination in perfect balance. The subject’s direct gaze and subtle smile contain a knowing confidence, while the long, dark hair frames the face like a protective curtain. I chose to work with a limited palette, allowing the warm undertones in the skin to play against the cool background, creating a sense of the figure emerging from shadow into presence.

I’ve made small details carry so much meaning – the slight lift at the corners of the mouth, the steady gaze that seems to look both at and through the viewer, the way the light catches certain planes of the face while others remain in thoughtful shadow. The red of the lips provides the only bold color in the piece, like a signature of vitality among the more muted tones.
The technique here is deliberately soft, with pastel strokes that blend and blur, yet the essential structure of the face remains clear and strong. This speaks to the nature of persistence itself – how true strength often manifests not in hardness but in resilience, in the ability to remain centered while staying flexible. This painting is about quality of endurance that comes not from forcing or fighting, but from a deep connection to one’s own truth.