"Handcuffs and Chaps"

Oil on archival, museum quality, ampersand 1/8” gessobord™ panel - 8" x 8"

I was challenged recently to create something more dark and intriguing than my normal still life subjects of oysters and alcohol. I thought these iconic bracelets might fit the bill. This fashion jewelry may soon the new bling of New York Governors and Cy Young award winning Major league pitchers. At over $1000 an hour, it is possible that Mr. Spitzer has had some experience with these already, if you catch my drift, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Since I ride a Harley, black leather is my everyday wear, so I am very familiar with that texture, and handcuffs are chrome, so they were no real stretch either. The cuffs are resting on my riding chaps. I like the reflected blues and the slightly chipped chrome of the cuffs hints at the warm metal underneath. I wasn’t sure about the marriage of brass buckle and chrome cuffs, but the interplay of warm and cold seems to work.I don’t know why but my mind wandered back to Burl Ives singing “Silver and Gold” from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He seemed to be telling me it was OK to put them together. My brain is like my basement – full of boxes of weird lost stuff. It is fun to occasionally open a box and be sent back in time. My wife doesn’t buy this "time travel" theory and threatens a to get a Roll-off dumpster whenever I leave on a bike trip. I always look for the tracks on the lawn when I return home.