A photo is rarely enough for me. So far, the reasons for this are not exactly clear. The process of painting on photographs is one way to extend the possibilities of an image. Very simply, it increases my interest, and therefore, my obligation to create and/or interact. 

Canary is a good example of this. As stand-alone subject matter, it was not enough, this image needed to be used to communicate something more delicate than death alone. I painted with the intention to revive the imagery slightly, and position it as a site of transformation. The beauty of it comes from the simultaneous presence and absence of its photographic and painterly qualities, and the fact that it can never be a canary.

The canary was used in warfare much like it was in coal mines: they were placed in tanks as an early warning to the presence of mustard gas. Because it is a painted photograph, this image is a record of my attempt at transformation, namely, the blatant insertion of beauty into the fray of death.

Canary, Oil on Inkjet Print, 40" x 27" 2009