works in progress

i wanted to post this up for observation. it's layer one and in a HORRIBLE state. thought it'd be interesting to show a before and after since i haven't painted figures in this kind of looser style in a while. kinda like on tyra when they do a jc penny/bobbi brown makeover on a charlotte russe/wet n wild victim, but with a painting. and with two bulky dudes chillin in their skivvies. more to come...



not sure if i'm done with this one yet... it's been a year in the making. and yes, they are bleeding. they are made from flesh. it's an exercise in visual signs and perceptions. balloons have a constant singular quality: they are generally filled with helium which is lighter than air, yet the fact that they are made of flesh and filled with blood would make them perceivably impossible to float. maybe the blood wouldn't be necessary if these were not painted on such a textured background that could've passed as an, albeit bad, abstract painting in and of itself, but rather a much slicker, cleaner surface where the skin colored/textured balloons would be the only subject and enough to throw off the viewer's perception. But... i am a known fan of the dramatic so...

Severed Ties, oil on canvas, 12x18