In my latest project, Football Frieze, I combine my drive to paint what I  see with the narrative and abstract elements developed by the ancient  Greeks in their frieze sculptures and vase paintings. I chose to make a  series about American Football because the players adopt heroic poses  and gestures and the game itself carries immense meaning for millions of  people.  Working from observation, I drew and painted teenaged athletes  playing football in a neighborhood park in Long Island City.   I was  struck by the vulnerability of their youthful forms striving to meet the  powerful ideal of professional athletes.   I made 13 panels, each with a  silhouetted figure; their meticulously rendered outlines are all that  remain of their individuality.  I then arranged the panels in a long  horizontal row, to mimic frieze statues. The effect is like movement or  dance.  The game of football is thus abstracted; it becomes a motif of  contemporary American society, with each figure playing its part in the  collective game.