Was about to throw this failed painting in the trash. Then I saw a face in the mess.
I got back into drawing during Covid, which led me to try painting. I wanted to make those beautiful, structured landscapes and portraits you see in galleries. Instead, I found the rules totally suffocating.
In a fit of frustration, I smeared paint over a failed piece and ruined it on purpose. Days later, on my way to the garbage can, I stopped. I saw a face and a strange arm lurking in the dried paint—like seeing shapes in the clouds.
I grabbed a plastic plate, squirted some acrylics, and just followed the lines intuitively without a plan. This is the result. It was the exact moment I stopped trying to paint what I thought I should, and started finding my own voice. I hope you like what the voice has to say!!
Acrylic on Paper 2025 untitled. By Doon