This is a portrait of myself holding a bouquet of dahlias on a stormy day near the ocean. I wanted to focus on the use of color in this piece, especially contrasting colors. I wanted to make this piece very cold to emphasize the warm red tones of the flowers. Why I chose to use a dahlia relates back to my concentration statement. The dahlia holds a story in itself. The dahlia is a symbol of warning, the flower of betrayal. But back in the Victorian Era, it was used as a symbol of personal sentiment and commitment. The negative emotion I wanted to depict is one of love twisted sour, when someone who said they would always be there for you left as well. The girl in the painting isn't looking directly at the audience in this shot. I wanted to make it seem like she was looking for someone. She has been collecting all these dahlias of love when really they were just warning signs all along. The coldness of the tones emphasize the mood of the painting.