Bonus time
Acrylic, newsprint, ink and charcoal on canvas
The power of an interview
For this commission I turned the table on a pair of journalists, and I was the one to interview them. This is always how my process begins. The questions range, but my main intention is to shut up and listen. And wait. Because there is always an anecdote or a moment that anchors the concept for the painting. It's the ah-ha! It was during this particular interview we discussed the heartbreaking story of how he had been hit by a car 12 years ago, how it was a miracle he was still alive. And I learned they now refer to their life together as “bonus time.”
It became both the inspiration and the name for this piece.
Like all my work, this one has lots of personal Easter eggs pertaining to this couple’s story, and those secrets stay with them. But what I can say is that that the intention of this piece was to anchor their home and create a space where they could go to chill and unwind from their demanding work. I love receiving texts from them now in the evenings, holding a glass of wine or a laptop and admiring this piece. Mission accomplished.
