New Holiday Painting

This Holiday Season at Hope, it was decided that instead of doing a purchased Secret Santa gift for everyone. We would instead paint/create gifts for one another. 

Honestly I wasn't all together thrilled about this, as IM on a bit of a schedule for my Shared show at "Strange Factory" in New Mexico, this March. But X-Mass is X-Mass, and the guys at Hope are incredibly important to me, so. 

As it turns out I pulled Eric Merrill's name out of the Hat. Was a little stressed by this as literally not having any ideas jump out at me. But than there was a couple of images that were kinda popping up one evening. I ran into work super early one Sunday, and started drawing. By the end of the Day, "Vader, You Broke My Fucking Heart" Was born. I can honestly say the title struck more of a cord with me than he image. And I must admit to having Thoughts of Brian Viveros's work rattling around in my head when this image was conceived. But I plowed forward and here she is. 

  Because this was kind of a last minute conception, I was a little stumped on what I would work on. I knew I'd wanted to work tall, and thin, but hadn't prepared any boards. Luckily I had a spare piece of Balsa wood kicking around. Not super thick, but the proper dimensions to work for me. 

  So I  Sanded it, Used a quick shot of some spray on gesso (pretty neat stuff if I must say), and went at her. I got within an hour of finishing her that very first day. But as fat e would have it, I needed to head home, and the dinner table with my Gal. But the very next morning I was at the studio again. Early so as to avoid the others at Hope seeing her before she was completed.