KIDS IN BLUE

Kids rarely make for an interesting subject for a painting. When asked to make a painting of my nephews I was a bit reluctant. A picture of them playing in a baby crib seemed interesting: the bars gave depth to the image.
The first version was painted quickly: shades of white on an orange background (I had done similar experiments). While I wasn't particularly pleased with the result, the rough lines of the bars suddenly reminded me of Francis Bacon's "Man in Blue" series. For the final version I decided to translate that idea, using a prussian blue (mixed with ochre) background (white was mixed with red and ochre for the skin tones).
In the end I decided to frame the picture so that there was an opening at the bottom of the image. Thus altering the image from a prisonlike space to a more abstract play of lines.



(first version)

(previous experiment)
 
Man in Blue V - Francis Bacon
(final version)


















(fragment)