Do you ever find old illustrations and decide to update them?
I find it freeing to no longer have a sense attachment to an old drawing or painting. I found this piece years after creating it, and decided I would give it a clear, fresh look. I wanted it to be relevant for me again, here and now.
The original drawing:

I've always love mixing mediums. I'm most comfortable with a pencil, and it is my primary tool for portraits, but I love experimenting with color to surround the grey graphite.
I wanted to modernize this image. The woman in the water needed a bright sun to explain the reflection on the water(color). Here is the change:

Simple as ever, but meaningful to me!
My favorite part is the pair of embellishments... perhaps a small tribute to the tradition of the Hanko in Japanese artwork.
Clarity and renewal. What do you think?
xoxo
Aura