" Before one's eyes-self portrait " 2012 oil on canvas
"Before one's eyes-self portrait"
2012 oil on canvas


This painting is about turning fifty. My daughter had a cake made with my childhood image on it. One of the guests at the party cut the eyes out and gave them to my daughter and said, "Give this to dad as "these are your dads eyes only”. Reaching midlife, I chose to paint my eyes closed. The way to move forward is to rely on what I know, not what I see. The backyard is my personal place of refuge. The swings symbolising childhood / innocence. I made reference to Saint Lucy who had her eyes gauged out and is the patron saint of vision. The blue shirt, well I told a friend once I would love a shiny blue shirt like the one Elvis Presley wore at his hometown Tupelo concert. I got it early to wear at the party.

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