In recent posts, I have been featuring some of my figurative work, which is really important to me and I keep trying to improve my skills. I want to be good at painting people so that I can use them in larger paintings that reflect my concerns about social and environmental problems of our time. These paintings are mostly troubling because they are about unpleasant subjects and all of the things that are wrong with the world.
On the other hand, the paintings shown here (both 20" square) represent an entirely different aspect of my work. They are about what is right with the world, in this case, plant life going through its important cycle of decay which leads to regeneration. These abstract looking works are not abstract at all. They are almost microscopic views, blown up to large size, of the leaves of the Water Shield plant that float on May Pond, my favorite local kayaking spot. The colors are realistic and lovingly painting them is, for me, simple Nature worship. This is something beautiful in the world and I think that people need to see it.
So, with these two completely different bodies of work, I feel like some kind of schizophrenic. They are so different - as isftwo different people had painted them. I don't know which way to go with my painting, or if I should even decide. The only reason not to do it all is because people expect to get to know a painter for a particular type of work and this is supposed to help one advance one's career.
But maybe they really are the same sort of thing, in that they are both something that I think people need to see.
