The first image is a small portrait study I did from a model years ago.
The second was a photo transfer of that small portrait with wax (encaustic) and oil over top that I did a couple of years later.
Then, after having both of these images in the studio over the years, I was experimenting with cold wax and oil this time and used the previous images to work from. Using just a silicone scraper I rendered the same image but tried to include less and less detail each time but still retain the general ‘feel’ of the portrait.
This was the precursor and the jumping off point for the ‘X’ series of paintings.
As it turns out, a lot can be said with very little as the subject matter!