In painting "Bruised Ego" I wanted to explore being in a vulnerable place. Part of the difficulty of actually placing ones work in the public domain where criticism is rife and actively encouraged, is that one's self is laid bare. It is a double edged sword. Be seen and be vulnerable or if all goes well, appreciated, but let's be frank here.. mostly its criticism. I know, I do it too. If one keeps the work and self tucked away in the security of the shadowy studio, well one can kid oneself that the work is fine, there is no growth and lose out on the exciting aspect of being open to that growth in others. So one has to participate too. This work is bold, yellow or greenish, (is that envy or fear creeping in?) the one eye open in alarm, the bruised mouth the result of having spoken and the words rebuked. I wish i was tougher but that i am not. The head is large, suggesting the ego is evident. The simplicity and abstract nature of the head is to suggest a universal side to this work, not one particular person is hurt, but all of us at some time. The background is part of an ongoing story that started with the painting, "Where I Live" and was changed and textured to suggest the flickering and unspecified sense of place that this character inhabits. It isn't finished yet, but here's a preview just to share...