When There's Calm in the Harbor for Many.

With the recent Natural Remedy series, titling has become a bit more of an afterthought than usual. As part of a series, the paintings have relatively formulaic titles and while that makes the "wrapping up" phase easier, it removes one element that I've typically utilized to frame the message of the painting for the viewer. 

I always start with a simple title; in this instance "Waiting for the Boats to Come In". At this point in the process I wasn't finished fleshing out the figures and wasn't entirely sure where the painting was ultimately headed outside of a harbor scene with figures. At this stage the title informs the scene to a degree but doesn't add a whole lot in terms of narrative or emotion. 

As I continued painting a few of the figures became a little more defined with the center red character taking on some elements of the boat itself. Other figures filled this sort of secondary role, filling space but remaining a bit less individualized, almost a repeating texture. The character on the right stood out from the start; a bit more front-facing with a more humanistic pose, this character breaks up the statuesque characters that almost become silhouettes. 

Once the center character was "finished" and "connected" to the boat, I felt a narrative begin to take hold. This felt like a more "put together" figure...one with a plan. They were all waiting for the boat but, with a matching outfit, this character was ready to sail. He knew his purpose. The other figures occupying a more secondary role wore the same kind of outfit but more plain. they were ready to board but less dedicated to the path before them. 

The figure on the right didn't take long to actually paint, but it was one of the last portions of the canvas I finished. Once the other figures all  fell into their own groupings, this fellow stood out and I knew he'd act as the main driver behind the narrative. I reflected a bit on the original title and realized I had set up a bit of a dichotomy; on one hand you had uniformed figures standing stoically as they waited for a boat to dock. On the other you had a figure seemingly in turmoil, undressed, with its head down. A moment of serenity (or monotony) for some was a moment of existential angst and isolation for another. 

Is this figure questioning getting on the boat? Is there something foreboding about the boat or where it's headed? Are the other figures accepting of this path or resigned to it? Are the others perfectly fine and this figure is in turmoil or are the other characters blindly moving forward and this figure the only one rightly considering the future?

When you go from ​"Waiting for the Boats to Come In" to "When There's Calm in the Harbor for Many" you introduce the fact that calm for many is not for some, revealing the dichotomy between characters and informing the viewer that something is not well. Figuring out what exactly that is, though, is purposefully left vague and intended for the viewer to fill in the blanks. Do you embody the anxiety of the outlier or feel like you are one of those ready for what's coming, prepared, put together and unflustered? Are you stoic and emotionally statuesque or do you find yourself anxious for what's around the corner? Are you accepting of your current plot or constantly railing against it? Or does this painting mean something else entirely to you? 

Painting, for me, is about discovering truths about yourself. While I do that through painting for hours and hours, I always hope the viewers can follow along in that journey for themselves. 

Take a closer look at  "When There's Calm in the Harbor for Many" and let me know how you connect to its themes and imagery.