Here No. 72 – It’s a painting of Matthew Ryan at the Living Room in New York. It started so good but when it came to the face I worked it, and worked it and worked it until I finally gave up. It just does not look like him and seeing as how I’ve never really painted people it was a nice experiment. I may try it again next year after some practice. We’ll see.
Eric introduced me to the music of Mr. Ryan thirteen years ago (yikes) and since then he and I have had the pleasure of sharing a beer with Matthew and even opening up for him once at Eddies Attic. His music is so freaking good that it just hurts sometimes. Dear Lover, his latest album, is one of the albums I listen too almost constantly while painting and has been a part (indirectly) of a lot of these paintings.
If you like to think I’d recommend picking it up. And read this article. And watch this. That’s where the image came from. I’ll leave you with this line from a song on that album:
The world is held together with lies and promises. Broken hearts, brand new days, for you to start all over again.