"This painting is a companion piece to a traditional portrait I had initially painted of the subject. During our preliminary session, I first documented the straightforward, formal pose as intended. However, I then asked the subject to briefly close her eyes, allowing me to capture a more ethereal, introspective moment.

I was eager to create a looser, more expressive approach with this secondary work. As I painted, the word 'requiem' kept reverberating in my mind, though I didn't understand its significance. It wasn't until I finally researched the meaning that I realized the profound implications - a requiem is a religious ceremony or musical composition honoring the dead.

When I listened to Mozart’s Requiem, in D Minor (The last piece that he composed) everything came full circle. This revelation revealed the painting with a deeper meaning. The brushwork and muted tones evoke a sense of solemnity and the afterlife.

-JuliAnne