in high school, i became obsessed with drawing gymnasts – in a way, drawing from the photographs in International Gymnast (IG) magazine was my version of a life drawing course. thanks largely to Eileen Langsley, there were so many gorgeous action shots to draw and study. i learned proportions, how musculature works, how our bodies move and bend.
sadly, save for a drawing of Dominique Dawes, which was printed in the high school yearbook, i’ve lost all of my high school gymnastics drawings.
the drawing above is a portrait of Gina Gogean, a Romanian gymnast who competed in the late 80s and 90s. she was such a beautiful gymnast, both graceful and dynamic. i always thought she had such a pensive look about her.
dated 1994 (note my silly signature), i must have been about 15 years old when i drew it. i found it snug in a sketchbook – it got quite smudged over the years!
a few things that make my heart go pitter-patter: drawing, Sakura Micron pens (size 005), pretty things, writing, smart design, science, boots, soup, Gilmore Girls, a knockout playlist, crispy bacon, 
