Libertine (Mature)

"Libertine" 24x36" oil on canvas 2/22/2009

This is the 3rd piece in my new series of mature abstract erotic artworks. This piece took a very long time with me and is, I believe, my largest challenge to date. It's a maturing of style, a melding together of many different facets of my painting technique into one piece. I'm strattling the line between overt and abstract, though I do believe the imagery in this particular piece to be quite evident. The paint application reflects, and even replaces, the movement of the actual act. The colors used echo flesh on flesh in the middle of the night....

As you might have read here or on Twitter (or both...) this piece was a real struggle for me. Please click the image to see the larger one, there is so much paint on this piece and so many intricate details it's tough translating on a small format (unfortunately a limitation of the digital age...but this piece was made more for a gallery setting anyways....)

The "before" is below. It's transformed a lot in the past few days. I worked non stop on it and thought about little else. It was actually all consuming and I wonder where the week went....