Lost in Thought
Foundations Collection
2019
"An exploration of contemplation, imagination, and the delicate space between thought and reality. "
The Question
Where does a thought take us when we become lost inside it?
What could she be thinking?
About the Work
We are always thinking.
Sometimes our thoughts are simple—a meal we want to eat, something we need to accomplish, or what we might do next.
Other times, they take us much further.
We think about the people we love, the choices we have made, the lives we want to create, and the possibilities that may or may not come to pass.
A thought can begin with something real and quietly transform into something imagined.
Before long, we may find ourselves somewhere entirely different—somewhere between memory, possibility, dreams, and reality.
Lost in Thought began with my curiosity about that invisible world that exists within each of us.
The figure gives us very little information. We can see her expression, her posture, and the direction of her gaze, but we cannot enter her thoughts.
Perhaps she is remembering something.
Perhaps she is imagining what could happen next.
Perhaps she is simply enjoying a quiet moment alone with herself.
We can never really know.
And perhaps that is what makes the moment interesting.
The painting leaves the story unfinished so that your imagination can complete it.
Looking Closely
The expression
A quiet moment of contemplation, leaving the figure’s thoughts open to interpretation.
The gaze
Her eyes become the doorway into a story we cannot fully see.
The subtle expression
A slight change in the face can suggest an entire inner world.
The stillness
The absence of obvious action allows the viewer to become aware of the invisible activity taking place within her mind.
The space between reality and imagination
The painting offers a real moment while leaving the meaning of that moment uncertain.
From the Studio
Every painting teaches me something I wasn’t expecting.
While working on Lost in Thought, I became fascinated by how quickly our minds can move from one place to another.
A thought can lead to another thought, which leads to a memory, which becomes an imagined possibility.
Sometimes we don’t even realize how far we have travelled until we suddenly return to the present.
Thinking is one of the most natural things we do, yet finding balance within our thoughts can be surprisingly difficult.
There are times when imagination gives us possibilities and inspiration.
There are other times when we become so absorbed in our thoughts that we lose sight of what is actually in front of us.
Perhaps the painting is not asking us to stop thinking.
Perhaps it is simply asking us to notice where our thoughts take us.
Pause & Reflect
What occupies your mind when you are completely alone?
Have you ever become so lost in thought that you forgot where you were?
Where does imagination end and reality begin?
Within the Collection
Lost in Thought belongs to the Foundations Collection, a body of work created during an important period of artistic development.
These paintings represent the years in which I was developing my understanding of portraiture, observation, light, and craftsmanship while exploring the questions and ideas that naturally emerged through my practice.
In this work, my attention turned inward—not simply toward the appearance of the figure, but toward the unseen world of thought and imagination that exists behind the expression.
Like many works within the collection, Lost in Thought became an opportunity to explore not only how a person appears, but what might exist beyond what we can see.
Studio Notes
2019
Oil on Canvas
16 × 20 in. (50.8 × 40.6 cm)
Availability
Available
$10,000
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Acquisition
Interested in making Lost in Thought part of your collection?
For acquisition inquiries, please contact the studio.