A drawing of this lovely couple Sinead and Stephen was commissioned as a surprise wedding gift from their friends. The drawing is 30 x 30 cm in size drawn with graphite and charcoal pencils on paper. I had one photograph to work from for this portrait. The photo is from a beautiful part of south west of Ireland, the Sheep’s Head. I still remember driving around this amazing peninsula, so much breathtaking beauty to admire. It is difficult to get around due to the road conditions, but worth it nevertheless.

Sinead and Stephan were very happy with the portrait and the client, Nollaig, wrote me a lovely email when he received the scanned image and after he had given the drawing to the happy couple:
Hi Ivana! I absolutely love it, your artwork is wonderful, it will be a lovely surprise for them… Hope you’re having a nice rest on completion of this beautiful piece of art. I am sure Stephan and Sinead will be thrilled… Stephan and Sinead were absolutely delighted with your drawing, Sinead even shed a little tear, they said you really captured their happy moment.. Looking forward to another drawing from you down the road…
Nollaig, county Cork, on commissioning the drawing from Sheep’s Head

I had one reference photograph to work from and it was all I really needed. It captured a very happy moment in the couple’s life and it was just such a pleasure to draw. I loved creating the shapes the sun/shadow created and the wind in the couple’s hair added a sense of movement and outdoors. I drew the horizon in a straight line.




I took some photos of the finished portrait before I posted it over to my client in county Cork. The drawing was first sprayed with a fixative to keep the dust away. I then inserted it into a neutral coloured mount before dropping it off to my local post office to be posted with registered post. The drawing was well wrapped in a mount, plastic cover and lots of layers of cardboard. I try to keep the packaging as sustainable as possible, the only material not recyclable being the plastic cover I slip the mounted drawing into. The drawing is ready to go into a ready-made or custom frame. The mount I use is usually 5cm in width, which adds a little more size to the overall artwork.