Throwing Flowers to the Abyss

This painting is inspired by a quote from Nietzche that says, “…throw roses into the abyss and say: ‘here is my thanks to the monster who didn’t succeed in swallowing me alive.’” I have had some paradigm shifts in my life over the last few years and I feel the need to give thanks to my past while also moving on from the "monsters" that at one time had possession over me and how I interpreted the world. The focal point of the painting is the figure in the center; however the figure is somewhat obscured and juxtaposed by the rocks in the foreground. The rocks convey the ruggedness of the terrain that the subject had to overcome and their coarseness is in contrast to the soft and vulnerable fabric and flesh of the figure.

I borrowed from a couple of different landscapes that have personal significance to me. The landscape below that extends into the distance is based on the canyon country of Southern Utah where I have spent so much time since my earliest childhood memories. The landscape is harsh, unpredictable, and beautiful with deep canyons and extreme conditions that test the skills of the most experienced travelers. The rocks in the foreground were taken from a landscape nearer to where I live in the mountains of Northern Utah. Made from lime stone that was formed from ancient seabeds and pushed upward over eons of time, leaving shells and fossilized coral at elevations well above the tree-line.

I attempted to paint in the style of the French Naturalists like Jules Bastein-Lepage because I wanted both the figure and the landscape to feel timeless.