"Your Aurora"

10/2007
36" X 48"
Oil on Canvas
SOLD

This is what I call a complex portrait, I paint the person in the center and then surround them with objects or symbols pertaining to their life. Cooley is the subject of this painting, my boyfriend of 15 years. I chose a picture of him from 13 years ago, two years after we met, a time of fun and freedom and of less responsibility. He is surrounded by images of himself growing into a man, our son Ne'kel (now four), variations of me; symbolizing my role in his growth, and various hands and bodies; symbolizing the obstacles he had to overcome. I used red to symbolize his passion for life and light blue to symbolize his joy for the clear blue sky and bright outlook on the future. "Your Aurora" is one of the few paintings I didn't plan, as I painted it evolved and I was surprisingly pleased. I spent about eight hours on this piece, it had a great flow. Cooley has asked to keep this painting, which is a first, so it hangs in his home.