"Quiet Storm" Painting

"Quiet Storm", Acrylic and Spray Paint on Canvas, 40"x30" $800
(click pic to enlarge)

December 22, 2008. These are exciting times. Obviously, Scarlett and I and our family have been riding the currents of life quite high since the birth of our second son, Cairo Pons, in November. As many of you fellow parents know, our daily lives have become significantly more structured around the new family member. Fortunately, through both our friends' and families' support, I'm able to get to work and continue to keep our studio well maintained and active.

This recently finished painting, "Quiet Storm", is one of the most formidable for me in terms creating a picture on more on a personal, point-in-our-lives, kind of thing. Its true inspiration comes from our trip to the beach this summer, spending the mornings with my family by the ocean. There's a certain serenity on the shore that can't be found anywhere else.

"Quiet Storm" to me is the Venus of Willendorf circa 2500 AD. I've always been interested in fertility idols of different cultures and over the past six months, I've been sketching and studying female forms that portray the mother with child condition. At the same time, I wanted to give my own aesthetic to the theme - showing a "structural" and "mechanized" look to the figure while still adhering to clear shapes. I took cues from Scarlett, who, throughout her pregnancy would describe to me how her body is changing to accommodate the additional weight of a baby. Lately when I paint on canvas, I'm trying to let the paint to the bulk of the work and leave my habits as a draftsman/illustrator to other things.