Should I stay, or should I Gogh?
- Mar 14
- 2 min read
Over the past seven years working on my Artists Masterpiece Series of Serialist paintings, I’ve repeatedly returned to the depths of Vincent van Gogh’s art and passionate letters. Taking a new direction within my Serialist medium, I began incorporating book pages rather than images—allowing me to capture a more balanced and purer representation of Vincent’s work.
This painting marks my fifth reimagining of Van Gogh. The first four were self-portraits—three of which are now in private collections—with the most recent exhibited by the Van Gogh Museum in May 2024. In the past I avoided landscapes and nature as subject matter, but my ongoing studies—and my constant need to challenge myself with new creative problems—drew me toward the theme. Few subjects intrigued me more once I realized how unfamiliar and foreign nature was within my own artistic language.
When I began this new Literary Series within my Serialist method, I never imagined that more than a year and a half later I would still be working on these Sunflowers, with no end yet in sight. During that time I have completed several other works, including a diptych of a Roman coin (front and back) portraying the emperor Marcus Aurelius, constructed from hand-painted pages of his book Meditations. This marathon of creation—and the willingness to adapt and persevere through months of experimentation—has been life-changing.
My last Van Gogh portrait took four months to complete (not including research), so I initially assumed this project would take a similar amount of time. Instead, it has grown into something far more complex. Throughout this lengthy process my curiosity and commitment to finishing the work have never wavered. It has revealed just how far I’m willing to go to achieve the goals I set for myself. For me, the true art has always been the creative journey. I’m grateful for every cut, lesson, and discovery that has come from working on this piece.
As this chapter nears completion, I’m already looking ahead to two large projects that have been quietly developing in my imagination: a ten-panel “stained glass” mural of Terry Fox, and a two-panel hinge-like painting of the iconic Citytv/MuchMusic Building, constructed from musically charged pop culture and nostalgic imagery.
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