Nature vs. Nurture Painting

This started out as a traditional self-portrait. You can still see the outline and hand (bottom left) of the figure I had begun painting of myself in the underlayer. In the end, it became a very different kind of self-portrait, incorporating a bike and park scene and experimenting with technique, colors, and textures. I began painting over the figure with green paint, but using a roller diagonally from the top left corner to bottom right, as I was in a painting class at the University of South Florida in which we were encouraged to try different methods of applying paint. I liked the effect of applying too much paint and allowing the excess to drip (center of painting), as it partially covered my figure of myself and added a dramatic, intense effect. After that layer dried, I began thinking about the green scene, and had an outdoor feeling as sort of a window to the world. So I added the scene at the bottom right, which is based on a photo I took in Mount Dora, Florida, where my husband went on an organized bike ride. I was very pregnant at the time and didn't go on the ride, but took some photos of the bikes waiting under trees as the riders were in a meeting before the ride began. I was intrigued by the shadows from the bikes and trees, and the patterns of the limbs. Finally, after that second layer dried, I added the small rectangular, but torn, floating shape to experiment with contrasting colors and add another dimension. I intended it to also represent another, less tranquil side of my personality, but later upon reflecting on the placement of the orange rectangle I realized it could also represent my pregnancy, fertility itself, and my previous miscarriage years earlier. The painting does not have a frame, but I painted the canvas sides of the painting the same dark green as the main hue of the painting for a natural look. There is a hanging wire attached.

Painting:Oil on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:35.5 W x 30 H x 1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.