Painted in 2010, this is one of the first paintings I made using a palette knife and impasto for a masonry- thickened flesh. I like the texture of the Monk’s flesh and that his eyes, while looking inward, reach beyond him, each aspect contributing to the evolution of his being. I like the contrast of a flat background and a head that has textured, almost marbleized, varied tones. I had done several drawings from a live model and based this painting on one of them. I painted from the drawing, not from the model, preferring to feel my way through the coloring of the flesh rather than to base it upon any form of realism. Although the painting is in oils, I like that the robe feels like a watercolor wash. For me, this contributed to the painting’s Asian quality. Inward exploration continues to be an element in my portraits. These paintings are about a search for meaning, an exploration of life’s pain as well as its joy. They are an investigation of the imprint upon our faces of our soul’s journey throughout life. This painting is part of my series on Meditation.