I have always been fascinated by the relationship of the human race to the world around us. In life, we pollute the Earth and squander its resources. In death, we are returned to the Earth and perpetuate life around us. Vice Versa was a way for me to analyze and express my feelings towards the processes of life and death and rebirth.

This piece started as a series of motifs: A person exhaling smoke, a skeleton releasing moths, and a centered graphic element tying the two together.  Above the figures, I’ve designed an ideograph of the moon, sun and stars to signify the contrast of day and night, warm and cool colors.

My focus was primarily on contrast and balance. I needed each element to juxtapose with the others, while also blending into the cohesive entirety of the piece. After I finished the base painting, I subtly tweaked the colors and values in close to thirty adjustment layers, before finalizing the rendering.