Alone and in the Nude:

There are times, when I paint, that I am very eager to simply play and experiment with colors. Just colors and nothing else. And almost always two colors simply show up in my brain and insist on being part of my conversation with the creative process. These colors manifest themselves and dominate my thoughts, triggering the desire to create, to be playful and to explore the realms of imagination.

Such is the case with this painting. There are two predominant colors that I used to establish the foundational layer which in turn, gives life to other complimentary colors. A few years ago, I met a girl from Italy who loves to dance alone while completely naked. She feels happiest and most free when dancing with herself and in the nude. So here, there appears a female figure in the background, behind the bamboo shoots with her head thrown back and gracefully aware of her nude body and her own solitude.

This image is a tribute to both, the states of mind and body that bring so much joy into our lives when we can allow ourselves to simply "be," and to a beautiful Italian girl who inspired me to use color and movement to celebrate a fun and wonderfully liberating memory.