2018
Oil On Canvas
30 x 24 in
Comes with Hahnemuhle Certificate of Authenticity Serialized Hologram Protection System
 
This wonderful oil painting by Joel Ray, exemplifies the Houston-based contemporary artist's signature blend of realism and emotional introspection. Ray, known for his visionary command of color and expressive portraits under the moniker NVR Connected, crafts a poignant scene that invites viewers into a world of quiet vulnerability and symbolic metamorphosis.
At the center is a young woman depicted in a close-up, three-quarter view, her head tilted slightly downward and to the side, evoking a sense of introspection or melancholy. Her features are rendered with meticulous detail: warm olive skin tones, full lips in a neutral expression, and dark, soulful eyes lined with subtle makeup. A single, glistening tear trails from her eye down her cheek, adding a layer of raw emotional depth hinting at loss, renewal, or the fragility of beauty. Her long, flowing brown hair cascades softly over her shoulders, blending seamlessly into the ethereal background of muted purples, pinks, and whites that suggest a dreamlike atmosphere, almost like a hazy sky or abstract aura.
What elevates the piece is the cluster of butterflies, rendered in striking shades of lavender and deep purple with black veining and white accents, reminiscent of monarchs but infused with a fantastical, otherworldly hue. These delicate creatures are perched gently across her face, neck, shoulder, and arm— one near her eye, another on her collarbone, and others fluttering nearby as if drawn to her like living jewels or manifestations of her inner turmoil. The butterflies symbolize transformation and ephemerality, contrasting the woman's stillness and sorrow, while Ray's oil technique imparts a luminous, textured quality to their wings and her skin, with visible brushstrokes that enhance the organic, 
This piece would make a compelling addition to a collection focused on modern figurative art or themes of human emotion and nature. Its subtle narrative invites repeated viewing, revealing new layers of interpretation each time. 
 
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