Dreaming in Red

Oil on canvas.

36x36"

Dreaming in Red is a moment captured in the back alleys of Kyoto, Japan. It’s an exercise in contrast in both its composition and its context. The red darks and lights provide a sense of warmth despite a subject wearing a heavy coat on what must be a cool evening. The painting plays on the concept of the illusion of detail. A sharp foreground where the marks of the brush are still apparent invokes a sense of realism without losing a certain softness juxtaposed with the out of focus backdrop. It’s inviting and yet we wonder about the subject and what the lantern means to her, if anything at all.