I stopped by the Penna. Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia to see the Daniel Garber exhibition in the main gallery on the second floor. As I was leaving, I got sidetracked by the first floor small one room gallery. There was an exhibition of Laylah Ali's drawings. I had not heard of her. I was stunned...

Viewing her ink drawings brought me back to an earlier time in my life when I was drawing similarly. But at that time I was simply to young to be able understand it or deal with it properly.

In a way that may be hard to fathom, Ali's drawings remind me of one of my art gods, Francis Bacon. Her pictures strike me the same way with the same quiet gut power.

So... I'm now wrestling with how I might transform my painting style or rediscover and continue with a style that led me into a brick wall so many years ago. I am going to shelve the current version of the "The Irreverant Rapture," - and start anew... same theme, new style, better understanding of oil paint...

Here are some characters that may show up in the new composition...




A detail: