In color figure studies, I am often drawn to the earth tones, especially the deep reds, of Los Tres Grandes—the name given to the three master muralistas of México. Of the three, my best-loved paintings, throughout my early development, were by Davíd Alfaro Siqueiros. His ability to master both the intensity and subtleties of so many aspects of indigenous survival has been a source of celebration, for millions. Sometimes, here in the East, I find myself starved for those colors—and I work to recreate that palette. If there is one unifying theme in my color work, it's purely that: the colors.