Early spring in western Pennsylvania. My cousin and I wandered through the woods behind my house. I was about 13. We came across a perfectly intact deer skeleton. I felt a sense of awe. I’d never encountered anything like it before. It was beautiful in its cleanness, how the bones fit together in just the right way to support a (once) living creature. It was magical. Mystical. And as I stood there marveling, my cousin stepped forward and crushed the skull–and my heart–with her foot.

—

I used to start painting with a specific outcome in mind. But lately I’ve flipped it. I’ve been starting with absolutely no intention in mind, letting whatever happens happen. It’s a much more fulfilling way to paint.

This time I just started playing around with some metallic paints I got on clearance from JoAnn. This is what emerged from my random brush strokes.

9×12 acrylics on canvas

Progress Snapshots