Keith Richards?

 Well, almost...

16x20

acrylic on illustration board

mixed with flood water

This morning, I was out in the garage doing some loose scribbling in charcoal on the easel. I have a small stack of paintings sitting nearby that were damaged during a basement flooding some years ago. It's denial, like they will somehow magically not be water damaged. I look at them from time to time and cringe. Some were ok, some just started, like this one of Keith Richards. I think something finally relented in me, because I'm now starting to think about restarting this one. I've resisted, angry that I should even have to start over again, dammit! I had even given in to scrapping this all together, but now...

Maybe this is why I relegated these pieces to the garage only to be seen every once in a while. The chance that I will see some kind of promise, like I once did and start again. Maybe.

I think that I had a decent enough idea with this one. I planned on having all of these abstract looking smoke whirls filling up the entirety of the background, all coming from a cigarette attached to the end of his guitar. The smoke would be thick and all encompassing, suffocating, but somehow pickling the man, keeping him alive. The music, as well, yeah, yeah...

Yeh, I think that I may begin again with this one.