On October 6th, 2020 the world learned of the passing of the legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen. This was such a great loss to music fans everywhere. At the time of his passing, the world was in the midst of a pandemic with repeated lockdowns and isolation. Before the pandemic hit, I’d already been well into the experience of being isolated from loved ones, but for different reasons. The pandemic just extended my isolation that much longer. I needed to draw to process the ongoing trauma I was experiencing and I wanted to draw Eddie for all the fans that were feeling this great loss. On the day of Eddie’s passing, I began looking for images that encompassed his passion for music while also exhibiting his extraordinary skills as a guitarist. I kept coming back to this one. This was the picture I needed to draw. This was the photo that had it all. I have since learned that this famous photograph was taken by Ross Halfin, one of the world’s most foremost photographers. Thank you Mr. Halfin, for this phenomenal photograph, for it was the reference photo I used for my 2nd ever completed portrait on this new art journey I’m on. This piece was created using only graphite pencils.

As I navigate the world of Art that is so new to me, I find myself learning new things in this industry. One of those things is how important it is to give credit to other creators/designers/photographers that inspire the work that I create. In addition to giving credit, it may be necessary to request permission prior to selling prints. I’m still learning what this means for my art piece and whether or not I need to request permission from the Mr. Halfin, but I think it is a good place to start. I wish to work with other artists, not create a divide. For this reason, this art piece is pending permission from Mr. Halfin and will currently not be available for sale unless permission is given. Thank you for your patience and understanding. ❤️