up and out

Be that as it may (48 x 36")

This was a recent painting I made quickly, but also struggled with a bit. I use a lot of layers when I paint, layers of painting over and over in places. Most of the time, though, I don't plan out the various layers. I'll be working on the painting in a way I think will be good for it, then I step back and it isn't hitting me right, so I start to rework it with more line and another layer right on top of the previous painting. The best paintings are usually the ones where I've disliked, and painted over about five or six times. Only then does it have the depth and history of my struggle with it to make it really rich. It works the same with the etchings. Anyway, such is the case with this painting. I like how there became kind of a pinwheel composition with the figures, and the change in scale of the figures (the top one is bigger than the other two) is something else I use a lot to give an unsettling play in the interaction of the figures. Well, this week I'll be getting ready for my final MFA show as graduation is only two weeks away!