Acrylics, 30x40.

This is the first part in a diptych, re-telling the story we saw in "Everything will be alright".

I suppose there's a lot going on in this piece. The background seems too orange; the water too blue; the lighting too unfamiliar. All of this is meant to convey a sense of danger. This is a place you do not want to stay in, no matter how alluring it seems. Balancing the colours was tricky, as this is an unusual and challenging concept to make work in a painting. I was constantly changing the background, the foreground, the middle ground, adjusting the balance until it looked right. Well, right enough. I also put in a couple of very deliberate visual elements. Our Astro-Hero's suit is based on the same uniforms worn by American GIs in WW2, and the ship is inspired by the classic B-29 Superfortress. The piece is meant to have a classic, timeless feel.

I think I'll stay away from commenting on the content until the second part is complete. Suffice to say for now, this one is about as personal as it gets.