'Rident Stolidi Verba Latina,' 24x18, acrylic and mixed media on wood, 2009. 'Fools Laugh At The Latin Language,' Ovid.

'Quid Rides Mutato Nomine De Te Fabula Narratur,' 24x18, acrylic and mixed media on wood, 2009. 'What Are You Laughing At? The Joke Is On You,' Horace.

'Risu Inepto Res Ineptior Nulla Est,' 24x18, acrylic and mixed media on wood, 2009. 'There Is Nothing More Foolish Than A Foolish Laugh,' Catullus.

'Amoto Quaeramus Seria Ludo,' 24x18, acrylic and mixed media on wood, 2009. 'Joking Aside, Let Us Turn To Serious Matters,' Horace.

My latest work is a sort of interactive piece.  The four identically sized panels are made to read in the order that they are presented here.  I intentionally used Latin phrases and kept them in their native form for a few reasons.  When translated, the stately Latin language reveals some humor that the viewer is not initially prepared for.  That initial reaction also sets up the joke, the interaction, and final call to action…. but I don’t spell out everything - you must think for yourself at the end.  The whole process plays out on the viewer’s preconceived notions of art and the seriousness of it all.

Making these pieces has been a long process and has involved many techniques that I am happy to ‘unveil’ to viewers for the first time in my work.  The pieces incorporate acrylic, direct transfer, spray paint, gold leaf, paper collage, pencil, ink, and gouache, on mounted wood panel.  The varied media work well together, in my opinion.  As is my custom these days, I’ve also included a treatment of multi-colored spheres which serve to represent emotion, movement and depth.

The central Roman characters are derived from ancestral figures depicted on family shrines called Larariums.  A Lararium is designed to protect the family’s home through the honoring of the guardian spirits depicted.  Mine is derived from a very well preserved shrine uncovered at Pompeii.  It is a figure that I have used before.  While living in Wales, UK, during 2004, I painted a replica Lararium mural for the National Roman Legion Museum.  Although, these new ‘ancestors’ are holding something the museum wouldn’t have found the humor in: a Sad Coffee Cup.  Filled with coffee and he just can’t seem to perk up.  I know the feeling…!  Be on the look-out for him in the future.  I have some interesting ideas that I want to explore and that character will be the medium that I relate the journey through.

I hope you enjoy these latest paintings.  Please leave me some feedback and tell me how you feel about them.