Sad Faces

I was named the "Dark artist" back in school, because all my portraits inadvertently turned out sadder and gloomier than everyone else's.

Never mind that I wasn't angsty, gothic, or depressed.

The shadows on my faces were always sharp, their eyes angry, and my professors and classmates would laugh at me.

Now I steer away from harsh shadows and try to paint in pretty colors. But there's an inevitable leaning towards the melancholy, as I consciously or subconsciously make their faces look like they're wet from just crying.

Sad is beautiful to me.

But yes, I am painting again, and that can only be a good thing.