One of a series of Hero portraits. Silent calls to action. I worked very hard to make this painting realistic. I used oil paint to imagine the future appearance of someone, which of course, is impossible. For me painting is a way of thinking visually. For me this means a painting can neither be entirely abstract or realistic, which is what I love about the process of making them. A painting is no more or less than an air cured polymer composite object. What it is will always be my responsibility, what it means in words (if anything) will always be up to everybody else.