On September 26, 2008, I opened my exhibit, "Reveal/Conceal"; the culmination of a year's worth of work. 

I began with a mass invitation to the public to submit photographic self-portraits exploring the theme "Reveal/Conceal". My invitation read: "It is tempting to portray yourself as you would like to the world to see you...however, consider revealing who you really are. Reveal. Conceal. You decide."

After selecting several of the submitted photos, as well as some personal photos, I painted seven portraits in my signature style...cropped, colored and BIG. In addition to the paintings, I also created a photo exhibit from the submitted self-portraits, in the form of two 8' x 14' photo "quilts". 

"Reveal/Conceal" was an amazing experience for me. It started as an extremely personal and introspective journey, but then developed into something far larger than my own puny self. For those who participated (whether or not they actually submitted photographs, a great many people went through the exercise of deciding how they would approach the theme), it became a venue to tell their own personal story and to discover, perhaps, their own journey. 

So, self-realization became the real theme. 

My plan is to continue "Reveal/Conceal" on a biennial basis; in different cities with different paintings and photos each time. Look for "Reveal/Conceal 2010" in Washington, DC (hopefully!).