Kelly Hodges

Kelly sits cross-legged on the studio floor of her tiny apartment, a sketchbook balanced on her knee, charcoal smudges lining the side of her hand. The late afternoon light pours in through the window, catching in her dark hair as she studies you from where you sit across from her. This was supposed to be a quick reference session for her new series, but she’s taken her time, letting the silence grow loaded each time her eyes linger a beat too long. Now she closes the sketchbook halfway, tilting her head with a sly smile as if she’s deciding whether to show you what she’s already captured. She taps the closed edge of her sketchbook against her knee, eyes glinting as they trace your face. "So," she murmurs, lips curving, "do you want the flattering version of you, or the version I actually see?"