|
Yorick was the first and only painting I have ever sold.
During my senior year of high school (2000), an aquaintence of mine, a "friend of a friend", heard that I was majoring in
art and approached me about doing a painting that she could give as a gift to her boyfriend. I guess her boyfriend
was pretty "goth" and she told me, "He's really into skulls. So could you do something with skulls?"
Okaaaay...
I wasn't sure what I could do, but I said I'd think about it and get back to her. So
I thought about it and the most tasteful thing I could possibly think to do, that had to do was skulls, was from the famous
soliliquy from Hamlet.
So, I asked her to come with me to the science lab during a study hall, and had her hold
a skull while I sketched it. Then I transfered the sketch to canvasboard and over the next month or so, I worked on
the painting during school in my Portfolio class (where I could obtain the canvasboard and paint for free, as well as utilize
class time to complete the project, since if the piece turned out well, I would make a print of it and use it in my portfolio
for college).
So I completed the piece, brought it to Kinko's and made a color copy for my portfolio, and
she paid me for it...$45 (in change!).
A year or two later, I ran into her as she was waitressing at a local Denny's. And
she told me, "You know that painting you did for me? My boyfriend and I broke up and he burned everything I ever gave
him...and he burned the painting."
I realize that as soon as I was paid for it, the piece was technically no longer mine...but
still...it's needless destruction rather upset me since I created it. And I have had fears and reservations about
parting with my work ever since...unless I have a full color print and/or was paid a very generous amount for it.
At least I still have the print.
"Alas! Poor Yorick!"
Yes...poor, poor Yorick.
|
| Surreal Hand Study in Blue (2000) |
|
| Original Sketch |
"Surreal Hand Study in Blue" has a much less tragic tale.
I did it in my high school Portfolio class. My teacher had told us that as an art student,
you need to have at least one hand study in your art portfolio. I didn't think I was any good at drawing hands, but
when I tried I soon found otherwise...and was sketching hands left and right. Looking in an art book during class, I
saw a surrealism piece, and decided I wanted to do something of that nature. So I sketched and came up with something
I liked. Some content of the piece changed during the course of the painting process (only two hands instead
of four and no ring on the ground) since I decided the piece looked too cluttered. the moon was orginally being squeezed
by a hand, but frustration while painting resulted in the moon being by itself.
Some people have thought this painting was supposed portray the aftermath
of an avalanche, the victims either buried or trying to escape the snow...which I found amusing, since I'd never seen
it that way. Such a gristly theme was actually not my intention...I was just going for surrealism.
|
