Ruthless Iterations #1 – Giclée Print
"Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time." – Ruth Bader Ginsberg
This painting began as a “30 Day Painting Challenge” where the object of the challenge was to paint on the same canvas for 30 days. Day by day, the painting went from watery swooshes and pencil marks to brightly colored splotches to a finely detailed abstract mishmash. I incorporated a dancing figure and then another and only to paint over them again. There were times when I hated the painting and was happy to paint over it. Other days, I loved it and hated painting over it.
In this way, the painting took on a new direction each day until I had the idea to overlay a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsberg over what had become a colorful city-like landscape. It seemed almost foolish to try and add a portrait over such a chaotic scene, but I was fearless because I knew I would likely just paint over it again. Little by little, a face began to appear through the colors and shapes, growing more defined with each day until day 24, when I realized I could no longer paint over her. Instead, I simply continued to refine her.
As I painted RGB into my landscape, I was struck by the similarity between my process of bringing Ruth to life and the way I imagine a bill or a law forms from an idea into its final, concrete form. Where a law or bill might begin as a protest, and idea, an outline, slowly, day by day, new voices are added or ideas removed, wording simplified. It begins to take shape until it reaches its final iteration over which Ruth and others add their final brushstrokes.
Just as new ideas gradually become – through pain, excitement, the gnashing of teeth, protest, idealism, and tears – a new law or a prevailing societal shift, Ruth’s portrait emerged from the chaos of my landscape through a sometimes painful, sometimes joyful, but always fearless daily exercise of revision, becoming, in the end, the dominant view.
Ruth wanted to be remembered as “someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. And to help repair tears in her society, to make things a little better through the use of whatever ability she has.”
This artist hopes that I have somehow captured that spirit to the best of my ability.
Year of Completion: February 2021
Original size is 30” x 30”
Prints available in original size, 20” x 20” and 10” x 10”
All prints are hand-signed and numbered prior to shipping. Each run of prints is limited to 20.
Canvas Giclée Prints are printed on Breathing Color Lyve® Canvas. This bright-white, award-winning canvas provides eye-popping color, coupled with critical archival certification.
Paper Giclée Prints are printed on Arches® Aquarelle - Cold Press (Textured) museum grade fine art watercolor paper that is 100% cotton rag, mould-made, lignin and acid-free.