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This is a painting of my good friend Amara. I wanted to paint something similar to artist Burton Silverman. He is a renowned contemporary illustrator and fine artist, and paints stellar portraits of, well, just about everybody. He works very quickly and his paintings breathe vitality. His brushstrokes are loosely applied; yet spot on, much like the brilliant Mary Cassatt. In terms of technique, my portrait of Miguel may be a closer match to Mr. Silverman.

I did not follow his actual method of painting, but rather composed an image reminiscent of some of his more finely tuned portraits. He predominantly paints his subjects full pose who possess an awareness of the viewer gazing upon them. Unlike Silverman, I have depicted Amara reading intently, her eyes concentrated on her book. I wanted Amara to appear unaware of the viewer as a way to strengthen her attention towards her book. Reading is enchanting and powerful; I wanted to capture that here.