This painting represents an escape for me. Like many people, much of the year 2020 was spent in isolation, aware of the pain and suffering so many endured as a result of the pandemic. For my family, the broadcast of the Broadway musical Hamilton was a much-needed uplift.

The play opened off-Broadway in February 2015, and from the outset, it received critical acclaim. It moved to the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway in August that same year. At the 70th Tony Awards, Hamilton received a record-breaking 16 nominations and won 11 awards, including Best Musical. It received the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A filmed version of the production was released on Disney+ in 2020, and it became a pop culture phenomenon.

I found myself entranced by the performances, costumes, and lighting. I’m also in awe of the talent of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the stage play and the music, which is the thing I most enjoy. The show draws heavily from hip hop, as well as R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes. It casts non-white actors as the Founding Fathers and other historical figures, and challenges us to think beyond our cultural and historical norms. While it is impossible to capture the music in a painting, I selected the lyrical theme from the number, “My Shot“ as the title for this piece.

Pictured, from left to right: Jonathan Groff as King George III, Anthony Ramos as John Laurens, Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson, Philipa Soo as Eliza Schuyler, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Christopher Jackson as George Washington, Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, and Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan.

This original oil painting on a cradled birch panel measures 24”tall by 48'“ wide. It sells in a custom-built natural maple frame and ready to hang. Free shipping in the U.S.

Limited-edition prints are also available.

"I Am Not Throwing Away My Shot" limited-edition prints