Surfer Boys: A New Painting

I had surgery on my shoulder in December so haven't been very active for half a year. So I'm happy to finally have this particular commission 99.9% complete. I think it needs some more contrast, maybe some work on the surfer's face (more Hawaiian??). It's kind of a new direction since it is pushing my interest in metallics and iridescent effects on textured grounds into the realm of figurative art. The border was fun too; I carved a bunch of new stamps in soft linoleum and played with them until I found a sequence I liked, and then collaged rice paper onto the canvas. I'm attaching some of many sketches for this project, in case anyone thinks this stuff comes easily or quickly (hint, It's taken months....