“Contemplation”

$80

Acrylic on 4” x 4” x 1” canvas, ready to display or hang with image-wrapped edges.

A small canvas with a painted abstract face, featuring a blue eye with a black eyebrow, green face, red lips, and various shapes and colors including green, blue, black, and brown.

Twenty-one years after painting Introspection, I found myself returning to the same face.

Rather than creating an entirely new portrait, I wanted to discover how much I could simplify the image while still preserving its identity. Working on a tiny 4" × 4" canvas forced every decision to become intentional. Some elements disappeared, others shifted, and the portrait continued around the wrapped edges, allowing the image to extend beyond the front of the canvas.

Without the geometric background of Introspection, the face began to feel less confined. The surrounding white space leaves room for the viewer to complete the portrait in their own mind, while the smaller scale invites a quieter, more intimate experience.

The title Contemplation felt like a natural companion to Introspection. If introspection is the act of looking inward, contemplation feels more open. It allows our thoughts to move freely between ourselves and the world around us—reflecting, wondering, questioning, and simply being present.

Sometimes the deepest thoughts don't arrive all at once. They emerge slowly, in moments of stillness.

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