In 2014, I was in Chicago at the 1871 offices to photograph art collector and CEO Howard Tullman for the "Double Gulp" portrait and to attend the opening of "Fixation" at the ZhoubB Art Center curated by Didi Menendez publisher of Poets and Artists Magazine.

The painting of my son called "EPIC" was in this show and I thought it would be a fun trip for my him to come with me to Chicago and experience the opening and help with the photo shoot. He was excited about the trip and thought it would be a fun to dress up in the same outfit as the painting.

Turns out, a photo shoot is not what a 12 year wants to do. I should have known better. Sleeping and listening to music is what he had on his mind. However, one of the reluctant test photos showing his boredom proved to be a visual treat and the painting is the result. A boy who is clearly not engaged, lost in his own thoughts, and sporting his Beats headset with music on his mind.

The dual meaning of the word Beat was a perfect symbol for how he was feeling and using the logo in the background going through his ears I thought was a perfect metaphor of what he would rather be doing. The good news is that he had a great time at the opening and what was once a test photo of a bored and tired young man turned out to be a an intimate portrait of a tween boy's ennui.