After the Show (2018)
36" x 36"
Acrylic on Canvas
This piece is very personal to me as it is inspired by a moment several years ago when I saw my oldest daughter sitting in the kitchen after her ballet practice, looking simultaneously exhausted and powerful, vulnerable and resilient, sorrowful and beautiful. She struggles with anxiety and depression, but she battles through the toughest times by putting on a strong facade and "performing" her way through the day.
I wanted to create a painting that could somehow capture the amazing complexity of that moment when she could drop the facade. The fact that she was in a performance outfit (not quite as showy as the one I painted, admittedly) was perfect. I wanted her to have a comforting friend. In reality the friend was the safety of our home, allowing her to let it all go, but in the painting I made it a monkey, because I love throwing in something bizarre!
#painting #newcontemporaryart #portrait #art
