Pieces of My Life

30 x 45" original oil

sold

I chose this title to convey the past, present and future. These three pieces of my life are in this painting. The past is the out-of-focus background. The present is the in-focus middle ground. The future is the out-of-focus foreground. In the painting, as in life, only the present is truly visible in sharp detail. That is where our living focus should be (the whole "be in the now" thing...)

An interesting thought: this is a bold composition for me. It's rare that I have this much of my paintings out of focus. My hope is that the middle ground is contrasted and strong enough to carry the weight and success of the overall composition. This is a total parallel to my life: I hope my attention to today can help me succeed, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

My favorite brush stroke in the entire painting is the little orange square on the tulip that is in focus, second from the right. It's the bright orange hit in the middle of the darker petal. I love this bold, random relief of color that balances out that area.