50 Sweet and Not So Innocent Drawings by Martin Bedolla

Keeping his sad-eyed drawings small in scale enables Martin to have a more intimate relationship with his art.

Martin Bedolla's big-eyed, elfin lads seem to borrow a little from pop-culture artist Margaret Keane's big-eyed models, as well as from early Advocate artist Toby Bluth's bell-bottomed fauns. We asked Martin to talk about his work:

"When I first started drawing, I was determined to draw big just like everyone else, but it wasn't until I began to draw on a smaller scale that I truly began to really enjoy what I do. I became infatuated with how intimate the process was for me on a smaller scale. To me drawing small means you have to be up close to appreciate the fine details of things. I love have something that seems almost casual as opposed to something important that you frame on a wall to be admired from afar. I like having sketches on my desk or tucked away in a sketchbook.

"The thing I enjoy most about my work is the way it tells a story. Regardless of the subject or composition, there's always an air of sadness. In fact, people often tell me that I always look sad, even when I smile. I just have sad eyes. So I like to think that I subconsciously put myself in my work in that way. I gravitate to sadness. I'm inspired by it."

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