It was just like one of those multi-level cakes with lots of layers and lots of icing. I just kept adding with abandon following a slightly random direction.

This 30″ x 30″ acrylic painting called “The Harder They Fall” started with a layer of paint followed by a layer of gloss gel. Another layer of paint; more gel. And again…and again until the canvas was heavy with product but filled with depth and many levels of broken color.

I started painting with my usual shop towel and 6″ stain brush combination, moving the color around the surface and applying the color randomly with no thought yet to any color harmony. As I moved through the layers, I switched to paper as an applicator, a palette knife and stamps and stencils and refined the colors.

And, as usual, the trees appear in my work as icons of strength, patience and endurance.