This morning I sat with many of my relatives, including my cheery sister-in-law MJ. I get a lift from MJ’s wry sense of humor and could listen to her stories all day. As we all caught up on our news and exchanged stories, MJ did needlework and I drew her. Imagine my surprise when I looked over the sketch below and saw that I had a sketch that not only strongly resembled MJ’s mother, but also caught a bit of melancholy that I had not overtly noticed when sketching MJ. I think it is the lift of her head, her open blue eyes, and the violet scarf that convey the pensive mood. And I am wondering if the strong blues and reds I used in the skin tones and hair highlights also contribute to a sense of sadness. I will do more work with these colors as I would love to be able to intentionally create this kind of emotional impact.