What happens after a painting is finished? Sometimes a color, a gesture, or a passage of paint continues to linger. Abstracting What Remains looks at how my abstract work can come out of the figurative process, and how carrying something forward can make room for what comes next.

Three paintings by Gina Payne are on view in the City Lights Art Gallery 2026b Fall Juried Art Show in Henderson, Nevada, September 2–26, 2026, including two recent figurative works and Desert Morning.

Over the past few months, I've begun to notice a shift in my painting practice. While a strong likeness remains central to my work, I'm increasingly interested in how brushwork, color, and surface can communicate something beyond a faithful representation.

Recently, contemporary figurative artist Gina Payne completed a commissioned portrait for a private client. Created in mixed media, the work incorporates layered surfaces with paint, collage, and crayon, characteristic of her evolving studio practice.

Contemporary figurative artist Gina Payne’s triptych Out Loud has been selected for the Celebrating Life! 2026 Juried Exhibition at the Charleston Heights Arts Center in Las Vegas, presented by the City of Las Vegas Arts Commission.