not going anywhere (unfinished detail)

Unfinished base detail of not going anywhere. Acrylic on canvas. Full images and completion progress on Patreon only.

This piece—the first time j. had ever sit to learn to paint a self-portrait—reframes painting as a practice of endurance and care rather than tragedy. Created over approximately 20 hours at home and in a neighboring communal healing environment, the work is both process and record of collective witnessing.

Using acrylic, UV-reactive paint, newsprint, and improvised tools, the piece moves between physical and energetic layers. It holds painting as ritual.

The above detail is the original piece at about 70% completion, missing its left eye and a layer of smoothing and shading.