This year, I watched my daughter encounter Mark Ryden's work for the first time. I was reminded of when I discovered his universe of characters in the mid 90s. I subscribed to Juxtapoz magazine and saw an entirely new wave of artists flood my brain. In light of my daughter's discovery, I took a beat to revisit Ryden's work and decided to pay tribute to the moment. The idea here was to create a portrait of an American family in 2024 complete with eccentricities and oddball characters with varying beliefs and world views. I began with an ultra masculine gentleman-like longhorn father figure to help touch upon the show being in Texas. The matriarch was modeled after my wife and a young Dolly Parton with extra care paid to her coiled, bouncy hair. She clutches their love child; an emerald green doe-eyed horned hybrid baby. The bear and bunny are meant to represent the couples adopted children. I remember growing up in the Baptist church in Texas that families would often denote which of their kids were adopted when doing introductions. It was a regular occurrence and always struck me as odd. It kind of branded a Scarlet letter 'A' (for adopted) upon the child. The brother and sister are loosely drawn from my own kids. They're behaving at the moment but closer inspection notes mischief lying just behind their thousand eyed stares. The oval frame is drawn from an Agate pattern. These stones are often formed in intense volcanic conditions. The striations and patterns are meant to serve as a reminder that families are complex and contain multitudes..Please allow roughly 2 weeks for shipping. It's just Kristie and me packing and it sometimes takes us a minute. We always pack them with love for you all. Cheers..NOTES: 18 x 24 inches /// 10 screens + light spot varnish /// signed and numbered artist edition of 100 on Stardream Quartz and 40 artist copies on swirl foil /// 200 numbered copies of Stardream Quartz version sold at show /// April 13, 2024 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in the Woodland, TX /// Art is dedicated to Mark Ryden
