This painting took my breath away. To see it in person is entirely different than on a computer screen. The clearness, the feeling, their faces, the light coming through the cloth, the flowers on the floor, the drama, the pain all so palpable. I went back to this painting a few times and was blown away each time. So many stunning paintings, I would not have thought this to be a favorite, but it was hard to walk away from. I wanted to know more…

Easy, right? #ha… if you’re one who thinks painting abstracts is easy, I urge you to give it a try. Working part time in a few galleries in the past, some people who enter the gallery laugh and say “What is that supposed to be” or “I could do that”! Really? Hmmm, because I’ve tried it and let me tell you, it takes a lot of concentration to not end up with a muddy mess. I think colors are super important (or in this artist’s case, simple black and white!) – but so is the movement and the overall feel. We’re all different and like different things. I would hear “I love that painting”, and “I hate that painting, what were they thinking?” in the span of about 12 seconds. Paintings that you think will sell quickly may be the ones that stick around the longest. There is no predicting. It’s all because we’re unique individuals and we like what we like, but – some artists are able to grab the attention of more people.

Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). We visited a while back and I took a slew of photos of paintings that stood out to me. How could this one not? I can’t tell you how striking this painting was. I see it’s no longer at the DIA, but I found information on Sotheby’s website… Can you guess today’s artist? The artist’s story is SO interesting – Read on for the answer and the story…

A fascinating work of art. Look at the various expressions. Concern (or could it be hope?), interest, compassion and a deep thought process for one. Or is it something else entirely? I think you’ll be surprised (I was!)… The stories that could be told are numerous. This painting is made even more mysterious with the black background. To see these paintings in person at the Detroit Institute of Arts was a dream and I cannot wait to go back! Take a minute to see if you can guess the artist – answer is below…