Hope Is A Dangerous Thing
But You Have To Have It
Painting, oil on canvas, 100x140cm, Amsterdam 2018-2022
Some thoughts
One eye opens up, like a Phoenix.
The essence in this painting is about what you do not see. Like Vermeer's The Lacemaker pricks her finger, according to Dalí, just a second later, or earlier (I have to look that up). You will have your own thoughts about it, find it blah probably, like art is often blah. But the fact is, there are more persons here than just the woman in the window. While painted with that intent, it has also been noticed by viewers. And it is up to you to fill in the blanks.
The ladybird stands for hope and it covers the heart. You can distinguish elements of the sea and the Garden of Eden that represent the origin of life.
This painting may also reflect the state of the planet we live on, with the woman representing mankind. It is not a good place but there is always hope and perspective. I see a very early morning.
Inspiration
I could but I can't tell you about the source. Things develop. And thanks to Lana Del Rey - half of the production time Norman Fucking Rockwell! was playing - the pieces of this tale came together.
Interesting
The blue square in the bottom is reserved space for the QR code. In the previous version my signature was there.
Towards the end, the flowers had the color of the Ukrainian flag, with a red rose in the middle. I painted that before February 2022. So I had to paint that over. Reflections of war are okay in this painting, but not with an actual war in mind. I only want to make general statements, because art is about the bigger picture.
Another painting exists, cheaply executed with acrylic on two cotton canvases, which is the first version of this work. It was after a simple example but elevated with a message. The idea with this image has always been, from the beginning on, to show what's not there, like already noted. In an update of this page I will add a photo of that.
You can receive updates via the Inquries button here below. For instance, about the history animation of this painting I am creating. The history will be available as an NFT soon.
There are NFT versions of this painting.
A bit of the painting's history and recommendations
When it was half finished, this painting had a temporary place on a house wall. It is quite impressive, it needs a special place.
The best place is where the natural light falls in, with direct sun light that changes the atmosphere every minute, and where the reflection of water plays with the colors and net curtains.
