Secret Keeper 2012

Rose Freymuth-Frazier made "Secret Keeper" with oil paint, and what's amazing is how she manages to make a painting so alive with just a few colors, mostly browns and tans against a very dark background, like a Rembrandt. The girl's got this "shhh" expression, right? But what's so cool is how Freymuth-Frazier uses the paint to make you feel like you’re in on the secret too. The brushstrokes are smooth, almost caressing the canvas, especially around her face, making her skin look incredibly soft and real. I wonder if the girl is Freymuth-Frazier when she was little. The light seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, hitting her just so, and making her eyes sparkle with mischief. You can almost hear the silence, the unspoken promise between friends. It’s like she's saying, "I know something you don't know," and inviting you to guess. Ultimately, it’s a painting about those quiet, private moments that make childhood so magical.