We Could Be Heroes

30" x 22.5", watercolour, 2006

Last decade, when I was working as a costumer in the Opera Department at Malabar in Toronto, I took advantage of my access to all those great costumes and they've turned up in a few of my paintings –most recently Embroidering the Truth and Seized of the Matter.

I also dressed up a bunch of times and I have photos to prove it. This painting is based on a photo taken during a fun dress-up day with my co-workers Wanda and Michael. I thought we looked like some outlandish trio of crimefighters here, so, of course, I had to paint it –and give it an appropriate title (a slightly-changed line from David Bowie's "Heroes").

I tweaked my moustache a bit to give it a nice curl at the ends, added a monocle for myself, and exaggerated Michael's beard...for extra comedic effect. Surprisingly, though, I didn't come up with names for our impromptu characters...

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