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Flamethrower!

12" x 24", oil on wood panel, 2014

I deliberately borrowed/stole from the styles of other painters for a small handful of pieces in my WWI painting project, but I think I could have done just a wee bit more of it, if only to get myself painting differently and eventually incorporating what I've learned into my own "style," whatever that may be.

When it finally came time to depicting one of the more horrific weapons used in this war I felt it would be an unusual and maybe unsettling juxtaposition to paint it in bright, cheerful colours. I could have gone in any one of a hundred directions, but the fauvist colour palette of Henri Matisse came to mind almost immediately, so I had a good look and proceeded to borrow heavily from him. I'm happy with the results, especially with the blue cloud of smoke, but I would like to explore working in his style a bit more...


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