“Feeling Blue”

Oil on Canvas

16” x 20”

2002

This was a figure study. The model was very energetic and animated. He had a hard time sitting still and was very curious about the painting. I found it ironic that every time he focused on stillness; his concentrated effort came across as sadness. I had observed how many life models seemed to have an expression of melancholy or anger when concentrating, and how that often translated into my renditions of them. I wondered if the expressions that I perceived might represent the emotions that tend to surface when a person lets go of distractions and is met with stillness. I decided to paint the model in blue to represent the internal world; the cool shadow of the subconscious mind. I painted the orange and red of the background to represent the external world; the very active and fiery energy of the conscious mind.