Losing Face (SOLD)

This is the biggest canvas I have ever painted on. this started off as a chance to stain a very large carvas that had been sitting neatly wrapped in celophane. I felt sort of a  guilty pleasure painting this in knowing it is pretty much of an unsellable piece.  Somehow a canvas of this size is intimidating in its very presence, you perhaps may know the feeling.  I like the unfinished quality of this. Accompanied with the sense of rightousness that comes with setting aside childish things, and then feeling somehow less foolish than had I carried this charade to an overworked death. I did not have a model to work from, not even a good photograph of a crab in this position, face or no. I am getting to know my subject quite well, and  take comfort in knowing that losing face for a softshell crab is far more tramatic and painful than it is for me.

 thanks for looking.

Oil on canvas 36"X48

 Below are some pictures of the New Fishing Pier in Nags Head. For those of you that are not familiar with softshell crabs, one of the things that happens to them is the face is cut off and the back is peeled away to clean it before it is fried or sauteed.

This painting is sold.