“Fox in the Irises” contemporary figurative painting. acrylic on canvas. 24 in x 20 in.

“Fox in the Irises” contemporary figurative painting

A fox in the irises means the cat should stay on the roof.  Non-rational use of color is not random. There is a grammar to this language, and I think I am in the process of learning to speak it.

This was an important painting for me. If the purpose of my art is to fish the unconscious for archetypes and dreams, then I need learn how to use color in a way that is both symbolic and visually interesting.  I think this painting was a tremendous step forward for me.  It certainly took more concentration and planning than any of the realism or impressionistic paintings that I have done, which actually comes quite easily.

This painting may be used in The Painted Book, a book I am writing about growing up in the Mississippi Delta and my life as an artist.