Back On The Case Part III: The Transitive Property Of Yesterday

The Transitive Property Of Yesterday: Silent Footsteps Sometimes Still Echo Eternally basically had a bout a week's worth of work to be put into it in order to complete it in time for Merican-Tastic!, but I decided that I might be tempted to rush that 'week's worth of work' if I tried to include it in the show.  So in order to save me from myself, I just decided to not include it in the show.

This piece (and I) came along way from the first strokes of paint to where it is now.

Here is the base image which was started back in August 2011.

Shall we.....?

At one point the piece was going to have five or six figures as part of the composition.  The idea of the figures has been transplanted into a sketch for a new piece that will be called Hunting Party (which only exists on paper at this point).

At this point 95% of the black and the white of the top layer are completed.  Just need to add some lettering and then partially-haze this layer over.

Shortly before I reached this point on the image you see above is when I decided I could start the carved frame with minimal fear of massive revisions to the canvas on my part.

The frame is nearly finished color-wise.  I have just a few areas to tweak.  Ultimately, I am going to place one more layer of imagery on the canvas and the color I use for that will also (probably) be used to complete the last few unpainted areas on the carved frame.

The much needed lettering....

Here is what the piece looked like before I applied the haze layer.

After the haze layer, I realized that the underlying imagery showed through more than I wanted, so I decided to expand the amount of elements that what would make up the topmost layer.

A few detail shots of the line work with hints of the underlayers peeking through.

The hand from the previous layer was, by chance,  positioned in the center of a 'talk bubble' that I had intended to paint entirely black.  The opportunity to 'modify' the hand into a fist was just too good/tempting to pass up, so I included it in the final layer.  I like how it works visually so well, that it is highly likely I will include this kind of image element more often in the future.

Last step for the canvas is to add mostly white with just a smattering of color in select areas.

The characters are re-used from a wall piece called Divided By... .

Just a hint of line work to go and the canvas will be finished.

Time to wrap up the painting on the carved frame too.

Just a few areas received the same white and warm brown that was used on the canvas.

The final piece is entitled: The Transitive Property of Yesterday: Silent Footsteps Sometimes Still Echo Eternally.  The 'Silent Footsteps Sometimes Still Echo Eternally' is a nod to the Ernest Hemingway 6-word stories.  I think one of his 6-word stories was 'Baby Shoes. For Sale. Never Worn.'  The piece will debut at Dutiful Citizen at The Maquoketa Art Experience on Friday, May 3rd.