Animus

I have always loved hands. I think they are one of my favorite parts on people. They explain character so easily, by their lines, showing age and wear. The best thing about hands, is that they assist in personal expression. I'm one of those, that talks with their hands. Someone once told me that I only speak in half sentences and then gesture/pantomime the rest. I'm probably the extreme case, but gestures are so important to me, and my figurative work. When I started painting, one of the first subjects I tackled (with zest) was in fact, the hand. Recently, at my dad's house, I took some photos of old paintings. This is an early study of hands that was completed when I was 15 years old. I apologize for the bad photo, but I was forced up against the other side of the narrow hallway where this is hanging, in order to get the shot...

oil on canvas
1991

And to round things out, a piece based on the idea of hands, with a twist (animus...soul, will, action) that was painted a few years ago...

Animus
watercolor on paper
2008