Final Mermaid and Sailor

This piece is finished.

I can't seem to escape from pattern. I really like using pattern. Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence. Pete fell off. Who was left? Repeat. Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence. Pete fell off. Who was left? Repeat.

It is hard for me to dissolve or distort the forms. I try. But I am fearful of making a large gesture and erasing the known identity of body, face, waves. The big victory on this piece was smearing the eyes but leaving the mouth of the mermaid distinct. It was easier to decorate and destroy the negative space around the named shapes but the outline of these shapes remained pretty stable. I don't know what it is like to paint an arm and then smear an arm. But I'm headed in that direction.

Finished painting and then began a drawing of several monsters fucking. Will continue to work small scale because 1) my table top easel is being used by for the drying of the almost completed "A Place With No Tears" and 2) I'm guessing that I'll take more risks working small scale where less time has been invested in the work. To really fix not being afraid of taking risks I think I need to work on multiple panels, different sizes, working with the same image, distorting it in different ways. That is a good plan that will certainly lead to experimentation. Or boredom.