Its been a while since I last posted to my blog. I'm sure the 4 or 5 individuals that might follow this site have not been holding their breath in anticipation for my next painting. If you did however, I offer a humble thanks and hope you suffered no respiratory problems.
So with that said, here's my next canvas. It deals with an individual who is having difficulty maintaining a balance with the reality around them and their perceived reality. I snapped a photo at a family gathering of this person and caught them in motion. I felt the image said a lot about their condition, they are physically with us but their memories and comprehension of the moment aren't clear. As for the imagery, I used some of the floral references from a couple of previous works that were used to suggest a state of rest, one of being awake and one of being adrift.
This is a very painterly piece, I knew trying to recreate the image blur would require me to rely more on the brush strokes to suggest motion. The image on the far right, the parachute, is s bit more heavy handed in approach then I usually paint but I felt that the symbolism and simplicity of it conveyed what needed to be said.
I consider this to be a part of my current post-modern Americana, as a lot of folks are dealing with loved ones in similar situations.