I spent a fair amount of last winter working on this. I wanted a sense of confusion and depth. That feeling you get when you walk by a beautiful scene, but you don’t want to walk into it. It’s too complicated, too messy. What the hell could be in there anyway? Whatever it is it could bite. I could get thorns in my feet, thorns in my side, troubles in my mind. It’s beautiful though.
They are much more impressive in the wild. I’ve killed every cactus I ever owned. I over water and pay too much attention to them. The one I have now is shriveled and sad-looking. The motto of a cactus is “Be compelling and repelling at the same time.” My approach to this painting is two-fold: Paint everything I see. If painting what I see isn’t possible, then paint a suggestion of it. Acrylic, 18 X 24″.
No more scowling faces. Creating spaces without eyes, faces or people, because after all, sometimes we all just want to be alone in a painting. Here we are in a beach paradise where the sky marches into the ever after and the flora beckons. No one knows what lies beyond, because who does want to know? As long as you are in this painting, you will never see anyone, and that’s what we all need after a long day of customer service. Acrylic on canvas, 41 x 36.
Selina De Haan 