It’s a tough break sometimes. We can’t control the hand that has been dealt, but we can make moves to better align the outcome. Focus, perseverance, and dedication can go a long way. There’s no telling how the candy will break, but it is what we do with the pieces that is important.
This painting features a bat, an animal that is often feared, maligned, and misunderstood. Bats have long been cast as villains or symbols of darkness, despite their ecological importance and quiet presence. I see the bat as a true outcast, burdened by stigma and forced into the margins.
Rather than portraying it as hidden or nocturnal, I present the bat as larger than life, emerging through icebergs. The scale and setting emphasize visibility and arrival, not entrapment. The bat is breaking the ice, announcing itself, and claiming space on its own terms.
Color and contrast amplify this presence. While more subdued than some of my other work, the palette remains high-impact, reflecting a world that can be harsh, bright, and unforgiving at once. The bat’s expression carries a punk attitude. Not aggressive, but declarative. It reacts to the world rather than shrinking from it.
The phrase “TOUGH BREAK” functions as survival humor. It acknowledges a bad hand without apology, using wit as resilience rather than surrender. The inclusion of unexpected foreground elements, like the Nutty Bars, acts as a humor bomb. A small, absurd intrusion that undercuts drama and reflects how I use humor to engage heavy subjects.
At its core, this painting is about visibility and self-definition. I believe one has to make noise in the way that feels right. This work embraces humor, scale, and presence as tools for pushing back against stigma and choosing to be seen.
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