Over the course of the first half of 2022, a big part of my process was channeling my frustration and rage into my paintings. In doing this I found the process very cathartic. I was able to tap into the anger and helplessness I feel at the failings of our leadership and still work through those emotions. Each painting became a study in acceptance and surrender. Here are a few of the paintings that deal with some of the deepest nerves.
Hot Dog Happy Hour 2022
Oil, pigment stick, spray paint on canvas 48″x60″
Originally this painting said the word Galavant. For me this is a reference to the unfettered access to deadly and completely needless assault weapons and other deadly contraband that is as ubiquitous and commonplace in the United States as hot dogs.
Hood Full Of Rain
Oil, pigment stick, spray paint on canvas 48″x60″
Pay attention to what they do not what they say. The pink line suggests the portal shape but becomes interrupted and obscured. Perhaps a hint toward the decption of words. In this case the shape also becomes a hooded figure under threat of being exposed by a strong cleansing wind.
Appetite For Destruction
Oil, pigment stick, spray paint on canvas 48″x60″
This fleshy fit of odd figuration subversively questions the assignments of gender stereotypes through the use of color and form. It is simultaneously aggressive and full of rage while layered in pinks, reds, and oranges/ The suggested shape offers a portal to transcendence and a confrontation with the demon that is our own. The word mota means speck and is a reference to the narcissistic judgment of others and the primary impediment to enlightenment. Desoto was the Spanish explorer who landed in Sarasoto Florida and brought with him the European avarice.
