2021 "Rising Tides" Abstract Cityscape Mixed-Media Painting on Canvas

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Original art painting created in my studio in Traverse City, Michigan (The North Coast!). A commanding 36x48" piece that created … Read more Original art painting created in my studio in Traverse City, Michigan (The North Coast!). A commanding 36x48" piece that created for a show that addresses what rising tides may mean for our costal-dwelling city human populations.

Of course, my mind is a little quirky so the first thing I thought of was how role reversals might occur between humans and sea creatures with rising tides....

You know how humans keep fish and other sea life in aquariums? Well, what if the coastal high rise towers where urban folk live and work became aquariums but for the fish to observe humans in their dry environs? The water would simply be on the outside of the buildings and the fish (jellyfish in this instance) would circle around the expansive underwater towers, observing humans interacting, living, loving, but with an audience? What if our coastal towers became indoor aquariums of humans for fish to be amused? And, What if the sea life sprinkled food into the tops of the towers for the pet humans to eat? This all sounds odd and highly unlikely but is it really that far fetched?

The palette is a restful one of various shades of soft blues, greys, and some warm earth browns and mushroom hues. Charcoal rounds out the piece and adds lowlights to highlight the tension between above and below. This piece morphed into what it intended to be and although I intended to have a much more serious entry for the Maryland Federation of Art "Rising Tides 2021 Show", I was pleased with the outcome.

Besides, finding humor in irony is an effective coping mechanism, at least for humans. See less