Working on paper, I make a charcoal drawing of the painting’s subject that is partially or fully rendered using marks as values to indicate the subject’s presence or loss. Marking is how I connect with or recollect the subject. Beneath the rendering, a pattern or symbol emerges. These symbols and patterns represent memories of past and present. Transparent color is applied over the subject and background preserving and defining the painting’s presence. Spray paint, like a thin layer of dust, may be added, indicating the passing of time.