Metamorphosis

Do you have a penchant for reworking a particular subject?  I've done it relatively little, but here's an example of the process and outcomes in one long-running case.

I began with a selfie, taken in 2014:

It was my intention to use the photo for a series of self-portraits, each incorporating a different palette and technique. The first of those paintings was done with brushes:

Selfie I
Acrylic on canvas
2014

Next, I employed color and a more impressionistic approach using only knives:

Selfie II
Acrylic on canvas
2014

I painted a third in the series with a completely different color mix;  but I was never pleased with the outcome, so after it hung on the wall for a few months, I took it down and slathered on the gesso so it could be re-purposed, I hoped, with a more satisfying outcome.

I wasn't done.

I had wanted to do a painting based on Edgar Allen Poe's chilling tale The Cask of Amontillado.  After repeated attempts that didn't yield the desired effect, I abandoned the idea . . . until I took a fresh look at Selfie II.  That gave me an idea, so I and pulled out my iPhone. After some tweaking, I had exactly what I failed to get with brush and knife:

For the Love of God, Montressor
iPhone/Pixlr
2015

Several more months went by, and then I had one more idea.   I revisited Selfie I with my iPhone, did the requisite manipulations and turned to my old friend irony in choosing a title:

The Golden Years
iPhone/Pixlr
2015

I think -- think -- I'm through.  If not, you'll be among the first to know.



I hope you'll give my brother's chilling new novel a read.  You won't be sorry!

"An amazing tale...that you cannot put down!" ML, Georgia

"This novel picks you up by the scruff of your neck and doesn't let you go!" VB, London

"It maps the tortures of the human soul in a completely unexpected and shocking way. Read it!" CE, Illinois