I recently sold a painting on eBay. It was the third piece I’ve sold in the last couple years. Like the prior two paintings, it was purchased by someone who I met via one of my ARGs. It’s interesting how that’s worked thus far.
Artist Statement:
This piece was painted in early 2005, a year that was to be a very tumultuous time for me. Little did I know when I was working on this rather orderly piece what kind of chaos awaited me later in the year. 2005 nearly killed me, and that is not an exaggeration in the slightest. The end of the year signaled a type of rebirth that I hadn’t previously experienced.
In the various paintings I’ve worked on over the years, I’ve found almost a complete inability to paint straight lines when I want to, with the exception of those times which I “cheat” and use a straight edge. However, those times could be counted on one hand, even if I was missing the majority of my digits on that hand. Additionally, those works will never see the light of day anyway. So for all intents and purposes, this piece represents the sole moment of straight lines when it comes to my paintings.
Like many of my favorite works, this one created itself. I didn’t try too hard, I didn’t plan too much, and I didn’t overthink. It’s as if my subconscious had something to say and it ended up on this piece of canvas.
Another unique aspect of this piece is that I painted it in bed. Every other painting I’ve done was done on an easel or at least on a desktop in my studio. This one was actually done while I was sitting in bed, preparing to go to sleep. I had all the brushes and paints on my nightstand, and the canvas sitting on top of a towel that was in my lap. It was a really random, spur-of-the-moment creation, but it works. I’ve always liked the result.
Although this is an abstract, many see a distinct masculine characteristic to it, and even identify a left-facing figure in it. I have heard that many times. While that is a matter of interpretation, it is indeed fact that there are words behind the piece. Behind the painting are the beginning words to a poem I wrote called “Bitter Roots.”
The black and red on this piece are bold and well defined. The green and yellow are distressed. A few brush bristles permanently made their way on to the surface of the painting. As I said before, it was very much a moment permanently captured. Unlike some other pieces I have done, this is not one I went back and edited later. This was left as it was originally created.
Buyer Critique (Pia Ward):
This is only the third piece of art I’ve ever felt compelled to buy in my life so far and it’s definitely my favorite.
I had in mind a very specific place to hang it but it now hangs in the woodshop at Shire Village Camp and I have thought I will hang it in my woodshop when I get home even though those two spaces are for the most part exclusively filled with toys made by and photos of all the children I’ve known over the last nine years.
I hung it from the ceiling rafters because the figure looks like it has wings. Almost everyone has a different
interpretation of what the image is about but all agree the colors fit the woodshop perfectly since it too
is full of red and yellow.
I hope Shane continues to make time to work on his art since I think he has/will continue to have a lot to
say to the world.