Newly Finished Painting! - Players Gonna Play

The highlights are bright, the lowlights are dark, all the features jump like I had hoped they would. The anemones are much pinker than I originally intended. I meant for them to be more on the orange side. They're brightly coloured, like something from a Dr. Seuss story, and I'm happy with that. Also, I was going to work orange back in, but I decidedly like the colour matching to the trumpet.

This piece was a rare one, in that I created it by popular request, rather than my own inspiration. I used to get "suggestions" all the time. "You should paint this" and "Hey, I have an idea" and "I would buy X if you painted it"(they won't). I don't get that nearly as much anymore, surprisingly. It's not uncommon for artists -of all fields in their own way- to field these silly fancies of other people.

Recently, I get more of "Have you ever done anything like X?" Which I'm much more flattered by. It changes the tone from "I don't like your ideas, but I'm a genius, so here-" to "I really like what you do, and I'm especially interested in X". Words really do matter. Intentions, too, but words are much faster to communicate than intentions.

A year and change ago, I ended up talking with someone who was going on and on about a mural idea he had that not only did he not have funding for, was also extremely racist, and he wanted me to put it up on a public wall, guerrilla-style. I found the whole conversation offensive in more ways than I can put into words. The answer was no, of course. Don't want to leave you hanging on that one. Then, I get an odd random influx of people asking if I've ever painted otters. Strangely, I hadn't. I love otters.

My maternal great grandmother owned an island in her life, called Ottermere. Somewhere along the border between Ontario and Manitoba, I believe. She liquidated it and donated the proceeds to the Salvation Army, I've been told, to avoid allowing its inheritance to my grandmother. She went and married someone of a different (unworthy) Christian denomination, the story goes, and didn't deserve it. Anyway, Grandma had 5 kids, raised four of them, and my mom was the youngest, so I don't think it would have ended up in my close family's hands either way. But it was there!

My pagan friends tell me that my spirit guide animal is an otter, which lends me my playful attitude towards life and relationships. I'm not as wild as I used to be by a long stretch, but I still perform. I have play in my heart, which is maybe a contributing factor in my desire to live a life in the arts.

When random animal selections come up my scene writing, it's usually otters. I used them last summer in the clown show I directed.

I mean, I could probably force a personal connection to most animals. I love animals. I think my point is that otters have a special place in my heart, and I have no idea why I haven't painted one until now.

Hopefully you all enjoy it. I have several pieces to finish, and a vaping Bilbo portrait to get started on. The canvas is all primed and ready. Please feel free to ask questions. I hope my ranting doesn't give anyone the impression that I don't want to answer questions!

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