10 Year Anniversary: The Painting Diary 12 of 30

Painting Diary 12 of 30: Look Into My Eyes, 2014

…and so I was back in Seattle again and found a dreamy apartment in West Seattle with an awe inspiring view. I settled down in my own space for the first time in more than two years. It felt so good to pull all the stuff out of storage and set up my own personal space again. The dining room area was meant to be the art studio but in reality the whole place became an art studio with paintings leaning everywhere, tucked under the couch and in the closets. The place was overflowing with art.

I was working on the project with my friend full time, through June and so I was producing less of my own work but was still feeling inspired. I started drawing a lot. In fact I was making far more drawings than paintings and was honestly in a bit of a rut with painting.

I had several unfinished oil paintings that I started in Arkansas but were far from finished, and in the case of this painting, it was a total disaster. I was working from a photo but had freehanded the first pass and later realized that my proportions were grossly inaccurate so I gave myself a major facelift pretty late in the process, as well as painted out a more complex background in favor of the plain sky, leaning heavily on my favorite, Paynes grey.

This was yet another in a series of hornets nest paintings and I wanted to do something different so the twist was to make a self portrait out of a hornets nest. It turned out looking darker than I wanted. The honeycomb pattern breaking though the cheek almost gives the feel of flesh rotting away.

I’ve come face to face with my spirit animal and we are locked in an intense stare-down. What message have you come to bring me my not so little friend? Whats next?

Look Into My Eyes, Oil on board, 2014