Oil on canvas, 16”x20”

Painted in 2003, this painting comes from my earliest years of exploring abstraction. I had been experimenting with abstracts since 1998, balancing that with my deep love of portraits. Even then, I felt the pull to move between styles and subjects, a tendency that still shapes my work today.

This painting is a snapshot of that time in my life. It’s filled with symbols that once held specific meaning, some tied to people I knew, others almost like doodles. The composition blends intentional imagery with spontaneity, allowing randomness and memory to overlap. The muted colors differ from my palette now, yet they carry the mood of that period.

It may not be my most technically refined work, (not even close), but it holds a special place for me. It’s a reminder of where I started. I still paint abstracts in a similar style today, but they are far more refined, and I continue to explore different ways to merge realism and abstraction.