I began my art journey in earnest in 2016. This particular piece started as a quick, 10-second pencil sketch from reference, which I later transformed into the finished work you see here.

Not long after completing it, I shared the piece with the subject—who, unbeknownst to him, had been the focus of my sketch. To my surprise, he liked it so much that he asked if he could have it.

Up until that moment, I had enjoyed sharing my art with others, but it had never occurred to me that someone might actually want to keep something I created.

Feeling deeply grateful for the gesture, I immediately tore the page from my sketchbook and gave it to him.

While I’d like to think that he still has the original piece today, I suspect it may live on only as this photo and the memory of a time when someone appreciated my art enough to want to make it their own.