My portrait of artist Lois Dodd, a full-length seated figure, 62 x 34”, oil on canvas, done in 2005, was recently acquired by the National Portrait Gallery . The Board of Commissioners met on November 13, 2021, and approved it for acquisition into their permanent collection. Taina Caragol, curator of Painting and Sculpture and LatinX art and history wrote, “This is a wonderful artwork and we love to have artworks that speak to the relationships and friendships between artists. We also love your connections to our museum through the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.” Lois is a longtime friend who has been a major influence on me and my work. Though my paintings don’t look like hers, I have learned more from her about what it means to paint than any other living artist.