In summer 2010, I painted several aspects of a model, Jerome. The first painting was an alla prima painting focusing on the colors of his flesh and clothing from the sunlight. The next painting was done from my memory at night in my studio. It was a darker painting that captured his Spirit. The next painting was another alla prima focusing on his gaze. A few weeks later I painted Jerome two more times. The first of these final seatings I began distorting Jerome’s physical attributes in order to identify what was beneath his features; his Spirit. This last painting was Jerome’s final seating that day. I wanted to change the color of his flesh to reflect a more dynamic persona. He was reading, his long hair pulled back in a ponytail, relaxing on a stool. I was interested in how I could distort him and still maintain the essence of the man. In fact, more than likely, the distortion reveals the essence of the man.