Violin Restorer Windburned Portrait Near Ensenada

Pale morning light spills across a centered face marked by windburn and fine frost. The subject fills the frame, eyes fixed with attentive stillness against a darkened background. Frost coats the bristles of a beard and the collar of a heavy wool coat, crystallizing in the cool air. Distant street lamps cast a soft, yellow glow that catches the texture of weathered skin and the grain of a violin varnish held near the shoulder. The turn of seasons hangs in the air, visible in the frost on the eyelashes and the deep lines around the mouth. One icicle forms on the tip of a wooden tool resting against the chest.