A tough old stick

Charcoal and pastel on Arches 300gsm archival cotton
82 x 52 cm

This is Beryl, one of my stick insects. She symbolises resilience to me. When I drew her portrait she was already an old lady who was missing a leg and half an antenna, but she always seemed dignified, patient and benign, with no defence other than her slow dance mimicking leaves in the breeze. in 2023 she was chosen as one of the finalists in the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize in Sydney. Onya, Beryl.