At that time I seldom drew people. Partially I was not confidant of my technical
skills. But it was more than that. The figures began a while after Luke died.
It is hard to explain. Before he died I was so much in life.
But afterwards, afterwards when I was painting I was
immersed in the lives of the women who began to dominate the work. I no longer
focused on reproducing the details of what I observed but rather the work
was an emotional statement -- the subject's emotional statement not mine
-- merging my perception of the subject's mood not as an outsider but as
a creator whose feelings were intertwined with hers.