Spring Angst Painting

I created this painting after paying a visit to my therapist. It was a particularly rough day for me, and I remember getting in my car afterwards and immediately heading to my studio to paint. It was as if some hidden part of me took over. I needed to paint. Through the anger, angst and tears, I ‘fought’ this painting for hours, and I didn't leave until well after dark. This artwork features thick passages of impasto oil paint on canvas, carried out in an ‘alla prima’ or wet-on-wet manner. The work depicts a figure painted in a gestural and expressionist style, whose head can be seen in the upper right quadrant. Upon further investigation, the viewer will also notice a broken wooden paint stirrer, a bottlecap, and other detritus from my studio floor. These ‘happy accidents’ were a result of my painting process, which at times can be extremely athletic and physically demanding. The painting was rotated multiple times, and moved around the studio while I worked. At a certain point it tipped over unintentionally, face down on the studio floor where it picked up the debris. I consider this painting to be the best work in my oeuvre so far. It’s raw energy and expressive nature excite me still every time I look at it.