The Dreamer is part of a progression of paintings I have been experimenting with for many years. The concept deals with combining realistic images with abstract elements or patterns. My thinking revolves around a desire to show more about my realistic subject than a literal translation into paint would normally do. I'm interested in getting across and emotional experience, even a subconscious one. I admire the way poets and songwriters can conjure meaning in our minds from illogical verse. We hear the meaning in another part of our brain, I think.