PRECIOUS

The Chat Noir dahlia I painted from felt so vibrantly alive. Its petals unfurl in deep oxblood and wine, curling inward, darkening almost to black, then catching light again along their edges.

As I worked, I found myself thinking about blood: the precious substance that carries life through us, and also its subtler side. In the old story of the crucifixion, the blood from Christ’s side is caught in a vessel. It is a physical substance that also holds something divine. That meeting of spirit and matter, consciousness and life, became the quiet center of this painting.

The drops of 24k gold, gathering across the upper petals and falling to the lower right corner, are a visual nod to that precious substance. They are small points of light held within all that depth.

To read more about the story of Precious follow this link.