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This is the first painting I made after moving back to Portland with my girlfriend. For the first few months of living there, I felt very artistically uninspired. I had just started my first office job and was having a tough time – my days were filled with constant exhaustion and existential dread. Painting this piece was really therapeutic to me – it helped remind me that I was an artist, not just a corporate cog. Since this piece, I’ve been gotten back into the habit of painting consistently, which has done wonders for my mental health.
In terms of technique, I layed the paint on very thickly with fluttery brushwork – this is what gives the piece its raised, sporatic texture. I also worked with a lot of half-dried paint, a technique I use often. Half-dried paints have a kind of “dusty” finish, and they feel very different to apply – it’s almost like using colored pencils or chalk more than traditional paints at times.