Alive & Well

Here’s what I had to go on when I started this piece:

“I am a typographer and lover of type, especially the ampersand “&”. If you can think of something on that aspect it would be really cool. I would love to have something on old barn board or something like that, but I will leave that medium up to you.”

Rad, I thought to myself.  The first thing that jumped out at me was the fact that the ampersand is a nearly ubiquitous symbol, the name of which is unknown to most people.  The second is that I feel like people that are passionate about stuff like typography and dubiously named symbols (what the hell does ampersand mean?) are a dying breed.  This brought to my mind the crossbones–not in the jolly roger, menacing sense, but more like a relic, a piece of history.  The finely detailed bones stand in stark contrast to the bold outline of the ampersand, which itself is worn and weathered but still strong and intact.   I think the rug that ties this room together is the salvaged barnboard it’s painted on.

Sometimes as an artist it’s hard to really explain a piece, convey what I had in mind when creating it.  So I’ll cut the explanation here and hopefully let the piece speak for itself.

Title: “Alive & Well”.  Medium: Acryic, India ink, pen and ink, watercolor on reclaimed barn board, 18″ x 21″.  Sold.