After retiring from a career in IT entrepreneurship, I took the opportunity presented by the pandemic shutdown to return to the world of painting and sketching that I enjoyed as a kid, reconnecting with my creative roots and rediscovering the joy of capturing the world around me on paper. My focus is on more than just the visual elements - it's about capturing the personality of my subjects and the intricate dance of light and shadow in the world around.
Statement
My work is grounded in pencil—a straightforward and tactile medium that allows me to slow down and focus on what is the most essential. I create sketches of people and places using simple lines and shading to explore the quiet stories hidden in both faces and landscapes. I choose pencil for its immediacy, directness and transparency. This rawness reflects my approach: I’m not chasing perfection, but honesty.
Portraiture is at the heart of my practice. I’m drawn to faces not just for their form, but for their emotions—for the way expression can hint at a story. I want my audience to look into the subject’s eyes and find their own personal connection. I want the viewer to feel like they’ve stepped into a shared moment with the subject, even if it only lasts a second.
Travel sketching complements this search for connection. As I move through familiar and unfamiliar places, I collect impressions in the form of quick sketches, memories, and photographs which I later use as reference to re-enter those moments with fresh eyes. Sketching from photos allows me to focus on the details I may have missed in the moment: the curve of an archway, the light hitting a window, the character of a doorway.
Ultimately, my work is about attention. Whether I’m drawing a face I can’t forget, or a street corner I stood on for only a moment, I’m always looking for something quietly human—something that invites us to pause, to feel, and to wonder about the story behind what we see.
© Hima Jain. All rights reserverd.