Artist captures people, pooches and other pets
Ava Skylar uses watercolor pencils to make images, and connections, with her subjects
On a recent Sunday on NW 23rd Avenue, Ava Skylar, 20, looked into at the soulful eyes of a Chihuahua/Pinscher mix named Milo, preparing to create a live portrait. Watercolor pencils scattered across her small table.
Milo posed calmly on the lap of Cash, his caretaker. Sundays are Skylar’s busiest days. She charges $20 per head: whether that’s human or canine, and an extra $5 per head for a double portrait like the one for Cash and Milo. Each portrait takes 20 to 30 minutes.
Asked by phone how many she draws on a busy day, she said, “Oh man, a lot, a lot! One day I made $220.”
But even a casual observer can see this is more than transactional. “I love talking to people and I wouldn’t charge more,” she said.
Skylar uses watercolor pencils. They’re easy to carry, washable, and have a nice color range.
She began drawing at a young age. “I grew up in a tiny town of 1,000 people, but later, when I was 15 and a student at Lincoln High School, Mrs. Windle, the art teacher, said, ‘I think you should consider going to art school.’ That’s when I realized I could do this with my life.” She attended Pacific Northwest College of Art for one year, but a scholarship offer lured her to Portland Community College.
In 2022, Skylar began offering to paint people’s portraits in Mt. Tabor Park to practice her skills and put in the hours.
“I said, ‘Let me paint your portrait for free,’ and people would end up giving me money.” During one period, she sent the money she made to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. “Gradually more and more people said they didn’t want their portrait done, ‘but can you do one of my dog?’”
Skylar said sitting for a drawing creates an easy rapport and connection.
“I love it when people tell me about their life. People seem to get really comfortable. There’s something about art that gets people sitting in the moment. I’ve had people drifting by from the hospital and sharing that. I’ve had people going through something tough. A disproportionate amount have experienced a breakup—like three out of five have just been broken up with. Sometimes it’s cute date-night people.”
Whether it’s a Schnauzer with a beard and a lot of hair or a pug with a million folds, Skylar focuses on shapes to capture her subject’s spirit. Recently, someone brought a photo of their horse, Hashbrown, for her to draw.
A recent workshop by the Portland artist Jesse Reno inspired Skylar to make a wish and set an intention with her art, she said. “I realized that in the next three years, I hope to have a show of my own, a solo show.”
A two-person portrait emerges under Ava’s watercolor pencil.
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Pretty cool!