This painting is, in part, a self-portrait. The VW logo is explained by Tamara's summer career as a Volkswagen mechanic, and the dog is reminiscent of her own pooch, Phoenix. Perhaps that is why the piece is so astonishingly vivacious. Or maybe it's the functional proportioning of color, or the graphite shadowing that creates the sensation of frozen, yet imminent motion.

The Girl is grotesquely malnourished but her serene expression attests to the fact that hunger is not a problem. This is corroborated by the contents of Skinny Girl's hand: a dog biscuit for man's best friend, instead of a much-needed Big Mac and fries.

"You have to keep at it," said Wilson, describing the process of creating this piece. "I worked really long on her head. I could never get it right. I stripped the paint, re-did it, gave her a haircut, then gave myself a haircut."