"Her pneuma was forever displayed for the masses, drunk on seduction and sophisticated passion."

Sirens of My Anima derives from an exploration of philosopher and psychologist Carl Jung's idea of the Collective Unconscious, specifically his Anima archetype. Jung believed there is a woman in every man, the anima, and a man, the animus, in every woman. I began a journey to explore my anima and how she influences my psyche and tendencies in all aspects of my character. This collection is a result of that exploration.

These paintings encompass abstraction based on the female form. The subjects are abstracted by simplifying the organic shapes of the highlights and shadows from the photo references taken for the series. I paint these abstractions on a wood substrate to give the surface more stability, given how violent my painting process can often be. The strength of the substrate is also good for the oil pastel drawing incorporated in the painting.

My process begins by applying an acrylic base layer in the shadow shapes, which underpins the subsequent stenciling and texture layers of oil paint and oil pastel. The oil pastel drawing is more intuitive than the paint application. The more controlled painting process is the yin to the yang of the drawing process. I often move back and forth between these two processes to create a more fluid experience for the viewer. Patterns created by the stenciling and texture in the mark-making within the paint and pastel applications contribute to the complexity of understanding my anima.

*The painting was executed on a wood panel. The sides of the frame have been painted, so there is no framing required unless you prefer to have it framed. A hanging wire has been installed on the back of the painting for easy installation.