Today I changed my focus from self portraiture to revisiting images of my older brother Mike. Mike is autistic, low functioning and nonverbal. I started this website in 2013 with Mike as my primary focus. I tried to consolidate, summarize and expand my thoughts and attempts to understand Mike. I shared some of the dynamics of my family to call attention to the fact that siblings are also greatly affected by having an autistic family member..

I started this sketch project with the a sketch of one of the first photos I took of Mike, in my adult life.  This photo was made at Mike’s 40 birthday (more than 30 years ago). It was the start of a continuous photo project that spanned more than 15 years.

This website has evolved since 2013, but the influence of my brother Mike is still a driving force behind it.

My previous sketches of Mike have been abstracts of my feelings about him and about my relationship with him.  In this sketch series, I will treat Mike’s image, just as I treated my own during the Quarantine Portrait Series.  I will study his facial features and portray them faithfully.  I’m not sure what this exercise will yield, but I think it is worth a try.

Mike Sketch Project: The Beginning, Mike’s 40th Birthday 1989 (Mike was eating chocolate birthday cake)
Pencil Sketch
9″x12″ 60# Drawing Paper