Passion

In between paintings of my ongoing surgical theme (The Apostasy), I’ve been searching for little sparks of inspiration for my next series of paintings. Attempting new subject matter and freeing myself from the confines of a very specific painting process are two strategies I often employ for a creative jumpstart.

So, last month I finished another experimental painting involving a splatter process and a strange juxtaposition of subject matter. I wanted to revisit what I’d tried in my recent still life Denial Vanitas with that splatter technique, and get even looser with it. As the painting came together over a few weeks, it increasingly reminded me of an older piece completed in much the same way, and with a similar aesthetic, called Comfort.

Layer 1: multi-colored splatter.

“Passion” (detail)

Layer 2: blocking in and establishing form.

More of the final glaze layer during application.

Adding the final shadow glazes.

Block-in detail.

“Passion”, oil on panel, 16in x 9in, 2012

Splatter detail.