Vulnerable Words

This painting series asks the question, “How are you?” Although it is a common greeting heard daily, it is not typically asked with sincerity. One usually expects to receive a simple “good” or “fine” in response before moving on. However, in this series, I force myself to slow down and genuinely inquire about the well-being of the people in my life. I ask my friends to share how they are truly feeling, whether that be good, bad, or mundane. After these conversations, I create a portrait of each person that includes words or phrases that particularly stood out to me.