500mm x 1220mm Mixed media April 2021
The marabou stork represents new beginnings and recuperation. After 2020 this is much needed. But often these plans are left to fate and end up being fake hopes, as seen in the House of Cards.
The House of Cards represents good news that turns to false rumours. I feel that this can often be caused by self-sabotage and in turn caused by a negative devotion to humility. Inappropriate humility plays a huge part in keeping us down and underachieving, so that new beginnings cannot be achieved.
We often cannot lift ourselves to another level because we are brainwashed with this humility throughout our lives. Sometimes it can be turned to shame and lack of self-esteem. In this painting humility is shown as being burnt into the wood, along with life’s patterns which is based on a Celtic triskele and represents continuous movement or continuous moving forward.
I have taken charge of this House of Cards and propped it up with sticks and stones so that it cannot fall easily.
The painting is done in mixed media and I used a blow torch to burn the background and pyrography tools to burn the pattern. I used thick paint on the stalks feathers to bring it into our reality. He stands watch over the cards but is also removed from any interaction with the cards which shows the cards being left to the demise to fate. The perspective of the cards is deliberately tampered with to show their instability and how precarious the whole scenario is.
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