The Soloist

Painting description: 30"x40" acrylic on stretched canvas. Framed.

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Artist's Statement

The Soloist was created in November of 2009 as a private commission. The guidelines were simple: abstract in nature, colorful and containing a piano. I met the client that commissioned this painting in January 2009 at a social gathering where he performed in a band as a bassist. Between the free range of creativity that I was given and what I had come to learn of him, The Soloist emerged. You can view this painting's creation from start to finish on my Vids page.

The flow of color around the piano is a visual representation of the music being played. At the piano’s helm is the hero, the musician. He is so engrossed by what he is doing that he ignores the heroine that sits next to him. The painting celebrates music, beauty and creativity, but it also laments the hero. The title of the painting is deliberate and its meaning two-fold: it defines what the hero is doing (a solo act) and it laments the man's aloneness. Notice the separation between the man and the woman in the painting. Notice her posture - she rests her head on her arm and leans in to watch the pianist perform. She admires him; on the other hand, he takes a fetal position toward the piano's keys and ignores her. He is more than just a solo pianist; he's also a loner in life.

The painting is not to be interpreted as depressive; on the contrary, its innate beauty signifies hope.