Why quote from Velasquez' (1656) celebrated Las Meninas painting? During a trip to Madrid, the enormous life-size Menina sculptures that adorned the city captivated me. I too was inspired by their palpable cultural importance to the Spanish people. As an artist, I wanted to capture my sentiments artistically, so I endeavored to create a"version" of Velasquez' Las Meninas. To my own "modern Menina" silhouette I added color and texture, all the while recalling sensations from the streets of Madrid. More and variations on the theme developed so that now I can present a series of Las Meninas. My work explores "absolute" ideas and situations of the ages, with which I depict notions in paint as l perceive them in my mind. I manipulate various elements to achieve a balance - mainly oils, but also pastels, acrylic and graphite. To suggest a three-dimensional form, I also employ organic elements. Using well-considered abstraction I reference and integrate other ideas into my compositions. If my Meninas series inspired young people to expand their perceptions beyond the obvious I should be delighted.