Feb 2010

I love to tell a story in all of my works, whether it's a portrait or a fantastical piece and this painting is no exception. After much research, sketching and deliberation - I am proud to present, ‘Malus Domestica'.

The essence of this work embodies the idea of deception. I have explored this subject by basing the two main characters on the classic fairy tail ‘Snow White.' The Queen and her stepdaughter's relationship involved its fair share of deceit.

I have also depicted one of Aesop's fables in the large outer ring of mosaic circles. The crow deceives the gull and then steals his food after the gull's efforts to release it from its shell under the crows direction.

The apple is also another very powerful symbol - (hence the paintings title.) It has ancient deceitful connotations tracing all the way back to the story of ‘Adam and Eve'. You may note also the serpent from this story is represented in the inner mosaic rings, along with other animals associated with trickery and deception such as a cameleon, fox, two faced man, cat, monkey, crow and spider.

I wanted the viewer to feel like they were witnessing this unsettling event rather than being part of it, thus I have taken a birds eye view approach to the composition.

'Malus Domestica' - Oil on canvas 36" x 60"

I rendered the initial design based on its corroded predecessor mid 2008 and its Jude Feickert's and Alex Kennedy's beautiful sculpted rendition of this drawing that has brought this building back to life.