Sunday, April 26, 2015

Bullies No More


"Bullies No More"
acrylic on birch panel
20 x 20 inches
2015
$1,100.00
info@moderneden.com to purchase


Here's my painting for "Storybook", curated by Michael Cuffe of Warholian for Modern Eden gallery in San Francisco.
For this show, each artist chose a childhood book to reinterpret in their style.  I picked my favorite children's story, "The Littlest Rabbit" by Robert Kraus.  I've loved this simple, illustrated tale since childhood, and not only have used it as inspiration for another painting in the past as well as this one.

In "The Littlest Rabbit", a tiny bunny's life is made miserable by the bigger bunnies just because he's smaller.  When he finally grows, he seeks revenge against his bullies and stands up to protect the new littlest rabbits against their foes.  The title in this piece comes from the line in the book,
"All bullies are cowards!"

In my painting, I wanted to focus on the dark, ominous tone of the book, despite it being a children's story.  My Littlest Rabbit sits between altar candles lit upon the bullies' skulls.  Black magic may have been used to off the foes, who stand guard over him now, in death.

In the book, the Littlest Rabbit was described as being no bigger than a flower, so I wanted to use a lot of Floriographic (the Victorian language of flowers) imagery to compliment elements of the story; sunflowers (the bullies' haughtiness), morning glories (the evanescent loveliness of life), plum blossoms (courage, happiness, perseverance), and iris (promise).



Saturday, April 11, 2015

Panda Magic



"Panda Magic"
acrylic on birch panel
16 x 20 inches framed to
22 x 26 inches
2015
$1,000.00
available HERE

Here's my painting, "Panda Magic" for Xiong Mao, opening April 11th at Flower Pepper Gallery in Pasadena, California.  The exhibit is panda themed and boasts an incredible lineup of artists that I've very proud to be showing alongside of.

I chose to depict red pandas with giant panda cubs cuddled upon them, all together gazing into a crystal ball while incense burns.   The bamboo represents strength through pliancy and steadfastness while the magnolias stand for perseverance and beauty in Floriography, the Victorian era language of flowers.  I felt this symbolism was appropriate for the panda as they are strong, wise, beautiful creatures with a rare, special magic.