Wesley.

In his story, Wesley once made a drafting mistake that delayed an agreement by three weeks, and he hasn't forgotten it. Since then he chooses his words with surgical care: he won't write "alleges without evidence" when he can write "states the following." The difference is tiny in the sentence and enormous at the table.

The portrait doesn't tell any of that: it only shows his forward-facing face, the amber eyes, and the lapels of the coat. I created him calm, against a plain background, and with the frame it has the weight of a small painting.

Wesley is one of the Animal Kinhood characters; in his case, a lemur who mediates between neighbors at the mairie of Ambalavao and, when the tone rises, comes out with his usual line: if it isn't clear, we don't sign.

Framed, the portrait has just the right presence: when someone walks into the room, the first thing they do is look at it. It works well in an entryway or a hallway you pass through. You'll find the whole series — also framed — in the shop.