The artist writes: The picture is from a period when I worked with sign language. A friend of mine who is deaf posed and I asked her to perform sign language words that represented emotional states. She had her hand across her face in a gesture, which meant sadness. I found this particular sign and hand position verymoving as it cut the face in half. I carved directly into the plywood, then reworked the wood later.

I added wood stain in the mixture of mahogany and dark oak, then Danish oil to seal it and protect the wood. Finally oil paint was put on in a thin layer. The work has a theatrically symbolic quality. Sign language witnessed is mini drama being displayed by the deaf person. A kind of hand dance.