I thought about doing this painting sometime in February of this year. I mulled it over for a couple of months before I actually started the painting in April, 2017. I finished it a couple of days ago. The whole process involved thoughts about how to do justice to the models, no funny stuff called artistic license and no presentation that would in any way demean the women who did the poses while at the same time making a work that represented that ethereal quality of the spirit itself.

As to the poses, I wanted the models to be and look comfortable on a solid plane that vanished into a background of winsome clouds to support the idea of transference from solid reality to a wistful dreamy distance thereby creating a feeling of depth. I also wanted the forms to not only appear natural and comfortable within the painted environment but to appear that they could step out of the painting any time they chose giving the painting a plurality of existence for the viewer.

To do that I had to use one color mixture and tonality combination for the background and another completely different color mixture and tonality combination for the forms. The shadows under the figures unite the figures to the background making the figures seem to belong in the painting. But not quite, as there is no background bleed onto the figures making them stand out and maybe not really a part of the painting. They are ready to step out if they wish. It took me a few months to figure out how to present that juxtaposition of visual realities.

I also wanted the figures to stare back at the viewer looking at the viewer with the same curiosity and questioning that the viewer is doing while looking at them. That viewing exchange imbues life into the painting. I think I got the effect I wanted. If I look to long at the painting, it starts looking back at me from anywhere I stand in the room. Nice. I think I got what I wanted to present in this painting. I hope that others get as much enjoyment at looking at "Sisters in Spirit" as much as I do.