I painted this piece during a time in my life where I was living a long way from home, and wanted to give my parents something to open on my birthday to feel close to me.

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I painted this in short periods of my free time, maybe over the course of several weeks, and every time I did so, it served as a meditation on Jesus' passion: His expression is steady and determined - He knows exactly what He is doing, and why He is doing it. But it still hurts, and that beautiful tear lingers on His cheek, a representation of the sorrow and agony He was willing to bear to rescue me; to rescue you. To me, that tear is a reflection of His humanity and closeness to us when we suffer our own heartaches and sufferings. He sees us, He has so much compassion for us, and helps to bear our burdens.

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The painting itself was made using only two colours: burnt sienna and ultramarine blue, with white and black highlights and shadows. It's an interesting story - let me tell you about it...

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To hear more about the process and story behind this work, see my video below.