Whoof! I finally got to drop this painting off today. There have been heavy restrictions on movement in Lagos State, the state most affected by COVID-19 in Nigeria. For me that meant, among other things, that I couldn't drop off this painting I had finished well over a month ago.
It was commissioned by a family to whom this image means a lot. In Mr Gwombot's words "It reminds me of my humble beginnings, the cactuses formed canopy like domes which made the pathways dark and made a lot of echoes. It was really scary walking through those formations as a child." There's no better description for the fact that art means different things to different people.
The reference photo was taken by one of his childhood friends who recently took a trip back to their home town. The image wasn't very clear so instead of framing it he decided to get it painted. I had to do a lot of studying and improvisation myself to bring out a look this sharp without straying too much from the original image so I'm glad it turned out this good. The piece was delivered to their home earlier today and they really love it! I'm glad I could put a smile on their faces in these trying times.
This piece was painted in oils on a 50x35 inches canvas, for several hours spanning across three weeks
Let me know what you think and do leave a thumbs up before you leave