Heart Like An Angry Snapper

Sometimes there are things going on in the world that are so horrible — and you’re feeling just helpless. What to do? I end up painting about them. Here’s Putin with a heart like an angry snapping turtle. I’d snagged Mr. Snapper a few weeks ago at an antique sale, knowing I’d do something interesting with it some day. Since then he’s been the centerpiece on my dining room table. And not only does Putin have an angry, snapping turtle heart, he’s chest-high in poison ivy! When will this war end? That’s how I deal with feeling anxious about that crazy stuff — by painting.

I carefully snipped a branch of poison ivy today and used that for a reference:

Ah, but the shirt? How would a collar look when pulled askew? I had to grab one out of the closet.

Note the hands — the similarity in so many of the Jesus paintings. Putin thinks he’s God, o course. Yesterday I had to keep holding each hand in front of the mirror and drawing, trying to remember how it looked.

And, if you missed a previous blog entry, Mr. Wonderful was with me every step of the way:

Another “war anxiety painting” — Back before the start of the Iraq War, when everybody was freaking out, asking where Osama was, I dealt with it by painting this:

The magic dog heads (actually a rubber puppet) were riding attack accordions (I’d bought one on eBay), sending out electric volts to find Osama bin Laden (and the other guy – I forget his name). Also in the sky was a turquoise blue Ford Thunderbird. I was working at Ford Wixom Assembly Plant at the time and that was my favorite color. Anything to help!