For years, artist Curtis Wiklund has been sketching moments ― both big and small ― from his daily life with his wife Jordin and their two sons Casen and Hayden.
Based in southeast Michigan, the Wiklunds, who have been married eight years, are now expecting a daughter in March. This exciting news came on the heels of a particular devastating period for the couple, who lost two pregnancies in the last two years.
“That first loss was actually what drove me to start drawing again,” Wiklund told HuffPost. “I realized I needed drawing, like somebody might need to write music, journal or go for a run. Drawing was helping me process.”
Curtis said he also uses his drawings as a way to document life with his family.
“I tend to draw moments that made me feel something,” he told HuffPost. “Those moments are sometimes hard to notice in real life, and even harder to articulate to someone else. But when I can draw it, I hope that somebody else knows what I’m talking about when they see it.”
The moments Curtis often feels most compelled to draw are the simplest ones.
Like a quick kiss in the kitchen before work:
Or the way his wife rests her chin on his shoulder when they’re out with the kids:
“I would’ve missed those moments if I hadn’t drawn them, and those are the moments I never want to forget,” the artist told HuffPost.
Back in 2011, Jordin embarked on a 365-day photo project and encouraged Curtis to join in by committing to sketching every day for a year. After the year was up, Curtis continued drawing scenes and posting them online (though not every day) and developed a following on social media.
“Today, the drawings help me hold onto and cherish the fleeting moments, and even help me work through the hard ones,” Wiklund told HuffPost. “I try to remember that they could help somebody else like they help me.”
Wiklund told HuffPost he hopes others can relate to the candid moments and raw emotion he captures in his work.
“It’s very comforting to find an artist who ‘gets you,’” he said. “If me being honest about the things I love or the things that make me feel comforts somebody else in their daily life, then I’m glad I’m sharing the drawings online and not hoarding them to myself.”
Below, check out more of Wiklund’s work. To see even more sketches, visit his website, or find him on Instagram or Facebook. You can purchase his book Us on Amazon.