Portrait of Viola Dana

(collage and oil painting on cardboard, 12X16, 2009)

"If we deny love that is given to us, if we refuse to give love because we fear pain or loss, then our lives will be empty, our loss greater."
Uknown

"I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have – life itself."
Walter Anderson

One night I was looking at some photos of silent movie stars and I came upon a photo of a young woman whose gaze I found simply mesmerizing. I examined her features. She was hardly beautiful. Her nose too big, her lips too small for my taste, and yet I found her so beautiful that I couldn’t stop staring into her eyes. I’ve heard her name before - Viola Dana. I knew nothing of her life.

After a bit of research I found out that her husband died of pneumonia and the next man she found love with (an aviator) died in a plane crush right in front of her eyes. This information made me understand why I was so drawn to her photo. On some intuitive subconscious level I felt that there was something that connected us. It’s the 'pain of knowing' that a person usually acquires after going through a tragedy. It’s a feeling that many people secretly carry with them. It’s almost invisible to the rest of the world, but the ones who are familiar with it can still see in others.

I knew right away that I wanted to paint Ms. Dana’s portrait. I did. It was very easy. I knew her stare all too well, since I’ve seen it so many times in my own mirror.