The person behind the pencil
The beginning
Where It Started
I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Growing up in Romania, it was the thing that came most naturally to me. My first subjects were cartoon characters, mostly Disney, later transforming into hyperrealistic portraits. When I later moved to Canada, everything on the outside shifted, but the inner habit stayed: paying attention, slowing down, observing, sketching. Over time, I realized drawing wasn’t just something I liked. It was how I made sense of the world.
The background
From Architecture to Art
My path into art was anything but straightforward. I studied architecture, then interior design, choices that felt logical, creative but practical. I still work in interior design, and honestly, it shapes how I draw: the way I think about light, texture, and detail; the way I balance structure with atmosphere. So, when I sit down with a pencil, I’m not just drawing a subject. I’m thinking about space, layers, rhythm, all those little design echoes that spill over from my background.
The shift
Why Watches
Honestly, I didn’t plan to draw watches. It just happened, a mix of my love for precision, form, and repetition. The real shift came during a trip to Dubai, when I stepped into MB&F’s M.A.D.Gallery. I didn’t have a lightbulb moment, but something clicked. I realized that my love for architecture and art could be combined. Suddenly, watches weren’t just functional. They became tiny buildings, containers of time and memory, works of art in their own right. Since then, drawing them has become an ongoing exploration, of time, design, and craft.
The process
Working in Graphite
Graphite is my language. It’s quiet, understated, and patient. It doesn’t demand attention, it draws you in. I love how it builds in layers, how a simple pencil line can grow into dept, into something full of texture. My process is slow, more sculpting than drawing, with stillness at its core. I’ve tried other mediums too (and still do, here and there), but graphite always feels like home.
The core
What Matters Most
For me, drawing is about care. It’s about attention, to detail, to feeling, to stillness. Whether I’m working on a watch or a portrait, I want the piece to feel like a pause, a quiet moment that makes you stop, look closer and a little longer than you thought you would. Technique matters, but so does emotion. That balance between precision and presence is what I’m always chasing.