There is a beautiful painting of a face under there. It’s vibrant, vital, and has a lot of interesting colors and shapes to share. But the spark, albeit the tiniest glimmer in the eyes, has been covered up. Muddied and spray painted with opaqueness, it’s frustrating to look at what could be a joyful being, swallowed by apathy. Sinking into the cold coppery abyss without any care for saving oneself. It’s difficult to see the face clearly. You may want to, but just can’t. And the painting can barely see you. Sort of sums up sadness and depression to me.
This abstract painting of a sad or depressed face was painted with acrylics and spray paint on a masonite board. The painting is approximately 12″x16″.
P.S. So as not to alarm concerned viewers, I’m not depressed, but might have been when I painted this image. People, being the social creatures we are, are naturally inclined to assume art reflects personality or state of mind. And while that may be partly true, I give more credit to people’s ability to overcome obstacles after giving amnesty to fears.
Special thanks to the unspoken viewers who’ve given me the attention I needed to heal. Push for joy. 
~Michael
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21 responses so far ↓
1 Vikki North // Sep 22, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Hi Michael,
I think we’re very lucky as artist. One of the best psychological drugs available is our own work. I often find -if I paint ‘it’- it’s the equivalent getting it out of my head and stowing it on the canvas.
What I especially like is your use of the word apathy in conjunction with depression. I think that’s very true.
The painting is excellent and right own in defining the emotion. Even your color choices help to exemplify the mood. It’s very pretty.
Vikki
2 MDE-ART.com // Sep 23, 2008 at 8:49 am
Thanks Vikki,
Yep, I completely agree. And on another side of the spectrum, I especially like using nervous energy to reach a giddy mindset (my intense natural high) and then draw from there. Most of my work originates from variations of that process. Sort of like freestyle dancing to music.
I don’t think it’s true for everyone at all times, or maybe it only develops later in adult life, but I’ve found there’s more power in ‘choice of attitude’ than most people I’ve met will take responsibility for. Apathy seems like the alternative to me.
3 Dina Kerik // Sep 23, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Michael!
Looky child! You’re in French!
http://www.actualitte.com/actualite/4787-Frank-Calloway-exposition-artiste-112.htm
Dina
4 MDE-ART.com // Sep 24, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Wow, that’s so cool! You’ve propelled my art across the language barrier! Thanks for sharing the link Dina, I’m humbled!
5 Vikki North // Sep 24, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Michael I just saw the Frank C. Portrait link that Dina sent you. Very very very cool! I bet you’ll get some email from the this.
I also totally agree with your response to my comment. From one of my works: The greatest discovery in life is that you can alter it -merely with your attitude. We can be happy or unhappy. The amount of effort is the same.
Vikki
6 MDE-ART.com // Sep 24, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Found it! Great post! Thanks Vikki
7 Dina Kerik // Sep 26, 2008 at 1:58 am
Honeylamb,
We does what we does for one another! This is a very cool and busy site. Get those giclees ready, dumplin’!
Dina
8 Dina Kerik // Sep 26, 2008 at 2:01 am
I meant to tell you that I lived in a ‘company house’ on the Sahara Nevada golf course in the early 1970s.
The owner, my boss had literally stacks of original art work by Leroy Neiman, Chris Rosamund – even a few Rockwells stacked against walls in some rooms of the house. His wife owned an atelier in NY with the sole rights to reproduce Rockwell anything as well as some of the others.
So I got a chance to be up close and personal with these paintings daily. Your portrait work reminds me a lot of early Neiman stuff.
D
9 MDE-ART.com // Sep 28, 2008 at 7:57 am
Hi Dina,
Thanks for the Leroy Neiman reference! I think I’ve seen his sports paintings before but never knew his name. Just got done checking out his gallery site and it’s amazing. I’m especially inspired by his animal portraits, like the big cats and lions. I could spend hours at his site, there is so much colorful goodness in his artwork!
There’s a lot to learn there… thank you for guiding me out to another world I never knew existed!
10 lceel // Sep 29, 2008 at 7:42 am
Lovely piece. And it’s all been said by others much better than I can say it. The mood, though, is amazing.
11 umesh // Oct 1, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Its’ an emerging, thoughtful face…..n i esp like the colors its’ done up with. I really like it..n to be very honest…i feel we all go into such a ‘trance’ sp.when we r very thoughtful (these r my feelings)….Colors reflect our thought too… Gr8 work….
God Bless!!!
12 MDE-ART.com // Oct 2, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Thanks Lou!
13 MDE-ART.com // Oct 2, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Thanks umesh… you have a wonderful perspective!
14 Heather // Oct 3, 2008 at 5:16 am
You always impress me with your ability to convey resonance of the human condition. It crosses gender, race, ethnic,social, and economic barriers and lays the truth bare, naked and wonderous. I call it being raw and radiant. Great work, and I think so far my favorite…I keep saying that, this ones my favorite…then you go and do something great and I’m saying no, This one’s my favoite…LOL, I love that about yor art and being.
Heather
15 MDE-ART.com // Oct 3, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Thank you Heather! You validate what feels like both the most vulnerable and strongest part of me. Thank you for that!
16 Eric S. // Oct 7, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Your art is wonderful. I especially like the one of Dan Eldon in the middle, seemingly being held up and emanating from the number of souls and faces he was so moved by. I get such strong feeling from that one, I can’t describe them.
17 MDE-ART.com // Oct 7, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Thanks Eric! I appreciate your description a lot! That one was of the more thoughtful and inspired works.
18 Scarlet // Oct 19, 2008 at 8:42 am
Wow! I’ve come to the right place! This is excellent!
19 MDE-ART.com // Oct 22, 2008 at 8:22 am
Thanks Scarlet! Beautiful name.
20 Nazia // Nov 14, 2008 at 6:53 am
It is very good prospectus. This art is very lovely. Struggle of author is good.
21 MDE-ART.com // Nov 15, 2008 at 10:10 am
Thank you Nazia.
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