Through composition, structure, and form, this body begins to explore childhood, upbringing, and ethnicity in modern American culture. The separation between the past and present, as well as the customs and relations maintained and lost, present the pretext for the arrived finish appropriate for each work. This work is derived from the rich history involved in figurative painting. Specifically I am interested in the late work of Philip Guston, Balthas, Richard Diebenkorn, Elmer Bischoff, Frank Auerbach, Rufino Tamayo, Romare Bearden, Larry Rivers and the figurative aspects of Grayson Perry’s ceramics.