That’s Not What I Said, oil on linen, 24 x 18" (60 x 45 cm)  I unified the colors of the wall, the table, the food and her hair, creating a surreal scene shrouded by yellow. The horizontal line of the table splits the image into two parts, and the figure is placed where they meet. The figure also carries the most information in the image, especially her face and hand. It invites the viewers to take a closer look at her expression and what she’s holding.

Rumination, oil on canvas, 36 x 24" (91 x 60 cm)  The original color of the walls was white, which seemed a bit boring, especially when she was also wearing a white dress. The picture on the wall wasn’t interesting to me and had excessive glare. I changed the background into rich orange and yellow, and replaced the picture with Lucretia by Lucas Cranach the Elder, echoing the motion of the girl. However, I cropped the head off to make it feel more mysterious and to let it be a better part of the storytelling.

At the End of the Show, oil on canvas, 36 x 24" (91 x 60 cm)  Great beauty exists in movement. In this specific painting, the girl is lying still. However, I adjusted her pose, her hair, her dress and the bed sheet to create a swirl movement. The upside down orientation made her seem more unstable. I turned the gray bed sheet blue to contrast with the warmth of her skin, dividing the image into a big blue shape and a big black shape, with three parts of her skin as highlights.

If You Really Loved Me…, oil on linen, 24 x 36" (60 x 91 cm)  I love using my models’ hair to create organic shapes. Her pose is pretty symmetrical, but the flowing of her hair, the placement of the popcorn, the warm light coming from the left and the cool ambient light on the right give the painting lots of detail and variation. I don’t paint people staring straight at the audience often, but in this case, though lying down, her body and face engage us directly. This strange angle gives the image more power and emotion.