Leaving the Party Early (Bad Night), oil/canvas, 12" x 16" concerns issues of loss, acceptance, and belonging - concepts that I see my young daughter already experiencing, even if she doesn't much understand them, yet. It is also a meditation on the painting process, especially the role of balance in composition. As a painter, there are many elements I'd like to include in a painting, but sometimes for the sake of a strong composition I'll eliminate one or more of these elements. The sketched, transparent object on the left is an homage to all of the "rough drafts" we create and discard in the process of making art.
