This body of work is a point of connection between two mediums, reflecting my beginnings in photography and transition into painting. They are a study in film noir: contrasted lighting, bold graphics, and dramatic characters. They allow me to combine the instincts required in photography—a direct pathway from viewer to portrait—and my heart in painting, where light and form are open to interpretation and response by my hand. They are moments caught on film that bleed out into fields of pattern and shadow. The subject becomes clothed in abstraction, which blurs the line between film and painting. While I have always been infatuated with photography, I have found myself much more passionate about the creation of work on canvas, watching the abstract take form, out of darkness, as realistic portraits that draw an emotional response from the viewer. This body of work has created a point of entry for me to explore two worlds.