"It's morning. What I really was trying to capture was that wonderful feeling of being alive. Or of waking up in the morning and feeling great and everything's beautiful. That's what the painting is about, really.

"Secondly, it's about the person. It's a very private moment. It's a very intimate moment and the person is alone - getting ready to face the day. Every good portrait of this sort has sense of intimacy about it and a natural, intrinsic sense of romance.

"I chose Nancy Guzik as the model because she's a joy to work with. She's almost the perfect model. No matter what she does, she's absolutely natural. Other people might have been a little self-conscious, but it didn't bother her a bit. And, being an artist herself, she understands what goes into the work."

- Richard Schmid