I know a painting is done when it stops pissing me off.

That’s my answer to the question I get asked the most: “How do you know when a painting is done?”

This piece is part of a collection directly inspired by music. “Back to Black” is one of my. favourite songs, and Amy Winehouse is one of my favourite artists. This painting was a labour of frustration that took place over several days while listening to that song almost exclusively.

Initially, I set out to paint a portrait of her beautiful face. But guess what I discovered… I’M NOT A PORTRAIT ARTIST! In the end, no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried to make adjustments, I was not able to capture the essence of her face. And then, the magic of inspiration hit and I remembered the song I was listening to

back to black

So I took a chance and painted over my portrait with black paint, going back in with a simple representation of her undeniable profile. By using black paint with a gloss finish in contrast with the matte finish of the black canvas, I achieved a final image that I believe is truly magical.

This painting is 36 inches wide by 48 inches tall. It is painted in acrylic on archival-quality natural cotton canvas, finished with a matte varnish so this piece will stand the test of time. It is also an exclusive piece that will not be released in prints or replications.