I loved painting this girl from above because it allowed me to see things from a perspective of unhindered patterns and flowing shapes. As this painting started to come together I realized that my model was floating in a world of her own. This illusion represents a sense of freedom that figure painters rarely get to enjoy—the freedom from gravity. Having her bathed in shades of blues and cool colors added an almost underwater quality to the work. This sense of fluidity and motion contrasts with the near static state of sleep, creating a still life work. More importantly, it hints at the far more expansive realm of dreams she resides in. - MW