I Will

Because this one-of-a-kind piece is highly textured, the images below may show faint "hot spots" caused by light reflecting off the peaks of paint. Additional scans are available on request.

This painting is so cool! I found this new texturing medium that has tiny bits of black lava suspended in acrylic gel and it does the neatest things. The texture of it is unique and you will want to touch it. But more than that, these tiny bits of lava are a wee wit reflective. So where I have not covered the texture with paint, you can see subtle glints and sparkles. Nothing gaudy like the sparkly stuff you see on greeting cards sometimes. Just an unusual shimmer that you cannot quite define. I have played it up a bit in key places by using small amounts of rich metallic silver paint.

This piece has surprising bits of unexpected color tucked away in the nooks and crannies. It also has a bold symbolic house and two phrases painted in tiny letters above and below the house. At the top are the words, "Who will keep me safe?" These words fall off the right side of the "window" that holds the house. Below is the simple sentence, "I will." The words from this painting have been in my head for weeks. I do not care to interpret them, really. Because I want you to see your own story in them. But they can reach out and grab people. A number of folks who have seen this painting in person have commented on how striking it is.

I am hopeful this painting will some quiet contemplation to the home of some fellow believer out there.

How I Will was created..... After priming this board with black acrylic gesso, I used palette knives to apply a thin coat of black lave texturing gel. I then used dental tools to scratch through that layer and define a central square. Inside that square, I cleared away all texture from a smaller "window" which would eventually hold the little house. Then I used modeling paste to create some fine horizontal lines in that small window. To give it a unique texture all its own. Again, I used a dental tool and scraped through those horizontal lines to clear all texture from a small house-shaped area. So that the painted house would be smooth. Once all of this prep work had dried, I used paint brushes to create the abstract expressionist image and to paint the house and the words.

(The sides have been painted black. This is a digital photo. The scans above are more accurate.)

I Will was painted on a wooden board created specifically for use by artists. It has a recessed slot in the back allowing you to hang it flush with the wall. The sides of the board have been painted as well so that this piece would look wonderful displayed unframed either directly on the wall or on a small, decorative table-top easel. It is also very stable standing on edge and can be displayed that way on a shelf or table.