THE SCALES OF THE HUMAN SOUL Oil on linen, 21' x 18' (52 cm x 45 cm) This painting addresses a primordial human struggle, the eternal conflict between the human heart and mind, between emotions and logic. The heart and brain are placed on the pans of a balance. Obviously the heart outweighs the brain. It is only by bleeding out its content will it become lighter and reach an equilibrium with the brain. Somehow a balance is achieved, and a steady state is maintained, but only with a great effort, producing pain and requiring strength which is implied by the strained posture of the hand holding the scale. The emotional heart originally weighed more than the logical brain, the painting suggests, but life forces us to discard and repress emotions to survive and maintain a measure of stability and sanity. Where does the blood go? it spills over a dry and deserted land that will never permit cultivation. This implies that in this world the seeds of emotions have no chance of sprouting, much less blossoming.