In summer 2010, I painted several portraits of Jerome. The first painting was an alla prima likeness. Then I painted a nighttime portrait of his Spirit from my memory; a darker more somber depiction. The next couple of days I painted another alla prima painting, focusing on his gaze. After several weeks absence I painted this portrait of Jerome. This time I focused on distorting Jerome’s face with the passage of time. I had seen from mummies that once the flesh decays there is an essence that remains. It was my desire to describe this from life.