Ominous Orange 2019

Monica Ikegwu made this painting, Ominous Orange, and look at that color! I can imagine her building up layers and layers of orange, starting with a lighter tone and gradually adding darker shades to create depth. I bet Ikegwu was thinking about how the background color can affect the mood of a painting, and how it interacts with the figure in the foreground. The paint is applied smoothly, creating a soft and dreamlike surface. The way the light catches the woman's face, and the texture of her jacket, shows Ikegwu's technical skill and attention to detail. The slight tilt of her head and the intensity of her gaze, it reminds me of other portrait painters like Alice Neel, who captured the personalities of their subjects with honesty and vulnerability. Like all artists, she's in dialogue with those who have come before. Artists inspire one another, challenging and pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.