Jackal Over Mercury 3

20”x20” oil on canvas

$950

I loved seeing the jackals when we visited Kenya last summer, so I knew I wanted to do something special for them in their paintings. I decided to use a trio of square canvases, and when I came across three discarded paintings of Mercury's surface that I had started and abandonded several years ago, I felt it would be an interesting combination. They would provide a nice textured background, if nothing else. I started these paintings with detailed attention to the jackals, and then added some minimal lines and shapes and thin glazing layers to suggest grass and landscape without taking too much away from the Mercury surface. The different overlapping perspectives (looking down on Mercury from orbit and observing the jackals from the side/ground level) helps the two versions of the paintings on these canvases stay separated. It reminds me of old 35mm camera film that has been double exposed.

Learn more about my trip to Kenya on my blog: https://www.hokeilenart.com/blog/2023/9/18/kenya