EDIT 02 February 2021: I have poor ventilation in my house, so, out of consideration for my family, I do not paint in oils when we are forced to close all the windows and doors against bitter cold. That means January is usually dull, so I am doing other things. I will continue this painting in a few weeks.
Oil in progress
24” x 48”
I play music. I play guitar. This image was adapted from artwork from a Richard Simmons’ album, Reach. Music inspires me. My art informs your sensibilities. Enjoy.
I had one of the characters with a shaved head and implant, and the child missing a nose entirely. My wife questioned my attitude. I fell asleep on a wooden floor sketching these people, strays, all of us. As I painted them, took their bones seriously, I started to make them less conspicuous. These are ‘regular people’.
Miraculously, while painting this, my sense of smell returned after three miserable weeks of weird Covid illness. Thus, have I restored a nose to the painted child.
Two of the characters wear eye glasses. My wife insisted I make them big. That’s how the creative process works. They are big glasses. The eyeglasses on the left hand lady are thick and worn low. Maybe you can’t see that. The oil painting is in progress. The people gathered in the background are from an image of determined sex workers sitting cross-legged and planning a union. The context is interesting, I guess. There are sky buckets beyond them, and there will be a wind farm and other details.
This piece will take weeks.
Fifty State Banana 