Betty Kim - Betty has a beautiful smile which I felt compelled to try to capture, and learn from in some way.

The garden in the drawing is a real place (except without the statue). It is the Soswaewon Garden at Tamyang-gun in South Korea. Gardens were meant to look like heaven back then. The little figure in the structure is a man playing a traditional instrument (the ajaeng).

The Buddhist statue (late 6th Century) is a seated Maitreya in contemplation. Maitreya held the promise of enlightenment and dwells in the Tushita Heaven, from which he will descend to become the Future Buddha. It was also believed that the founder of the Hwarang (the elite youth corps to protect Korea) was an incarnation of the bodhisatva Maitreya. The smooth graceful sculpture lines were part of the Korean style of that era. It's hand is up in contemplation.

I liked how the smooth-faced statue suggests (or tries to hide) a smile, especially in the presence of Betty here.

Her hanbok is designed with a mischievous smiling Korean tiger and a picture of a laughing moon.

I basically wanted to emulate a simple happy paradise for Betty in this drawing.

I used mostly pens for this and not my usual quills (except for the hair).