Soft Burn

This portrait leans into contrast, cool green light against warm skin, softness interrupted by smoke and gesture. The figure feels present and vulnerable, caught mid-thought, as if the moment might dissolve the instant you look away. Expressive brushwork keeps the surface active, allowing edges to breathe and forms to emerge rather than resolve. The palette is restrained but charged, with luminous greens and muted earth tones creating depth without noise. Smoke becomes a compositional element, softening the portrait while reinforcing the sense of impermanence and pause. Painted in oils with a balance of control and looseness, signed and varnished.