“Mona Who?”

$195

Acrylic on 8” x 10” x .5” canvas, ready to hang with image-wrapped edges and a black wood frame.

After completing Introspection, I found myself wanting to continue exploring similar imagery, but with a few new ideas.

I originally envisioned this painting as something of a self-portrait, so I intentionally chose fiery oranges and reds for the hair—a playful nod to my own strawberry blonde hair and the fact that I've occasionally been described as a "fiery redhead." As the painting developed, though, it gradually became less about me and more about exploring color, composition, and expression.

Instead of a rectangular background, I enclosed the portrait within a circular space that can be seen as a tunnel, a web, or perhaps something entirely different. The floating background gives the face a sense of existing somewhere between reality and imagination. I also changed the expression, replacing the more neutral mouth of Introspection with the hint of a smirk, giving this face a personality all its own.

The title came after the painting was finished. For some reason, Mona Lisa popped into my head, and I laughed. As if I had painted something that belonged in the same sentence as one of the most famous portraits in history!

Looking back, I see Mona, Who? as another step in exploring portraiture, color, and composition...with a title that doesn't take itself too seriously.