acrylic on canvas
My largest to date, The Visitors came about through an image that flashed in my mind, as well as the thirst to dive into a more complex composition and scene. I have been wanting to go "big" for a while, as I was yearning to create a scene where the viewer can feel able to physically step in and be a part of the action. It was an all-consuming process, and I never lost the fever for it all throughout the course of working on it, which can be a rare thing sometimes.
The scene itself serves as an allegory for the struggle to create order out of chaos. As human beings, suppressing various emotions underneath a calm exterior is not uncommon in our day-to-day lives. So many people have connected to this painting in one way or another. I wanted to get a sense of the "heat" - hot summer wind coming through open windows across a drought-ridden field, the heat of the oven, the dizzying swirl of movement and sound, things on the verge of losing control - chaos personified. Yet, the figures appear almost unmoved. Perhaps it's just another day in the kitchen. The interaction between all the elements speaks of what lies beneath the surface. I deliberately composed the perspective and size of each animal and object to serve the purpose of encouraging interaction with the viewer. I want anyone who looks at this picture to feel like they can pull up a chair to sit across from the central figure and be a part of the whole environment.
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