My painting When David Heard is a finalist in Ray Mar's monthly art contest. The judge's comments:

This is a starkly composed, brooding painting, sensitively and powerfully executed. We are intrigued - what has happened here? We have intruded on an intensely private moment. With clenched fists and an inward, hunched posture, the man telegraphs his internal conflicts. The somber hues of the limited palette and the calm, careful brushwork reinforce the quiet intensity of this piece. The light pattern in the background could be a window, or a church or even a jail. It gives depth and atmosphere to this moody painting. I appreciate the subtle color changes between his sunburned head and face and his paler arms and hands, as well as the interplay of firm, soft and lost edges surrounding the finely modeled forms. A wonderful narrative figurative piece. - Linda Tracey Brandon