Ruby, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 inches, 2021

"I had been thinking about the Carmen archetype (from the opera) and painted the whole canvas red initially - I was also thinking of the Antonio Gades film that sets Carmen to flamenco. But as I worked I got more into the idea of the seductress being more local, roots-Americana, and decided to call her Ruby instead of Carmen. A little sassier, more American, southwestern, a little rough around the edges."