the ridiculous painting

I've posted this painting before, pictured here in my old Decatur studio. It now is on the wall in our living room. I had drawn this type of praying figure before, and when I painted it I initially had it in a mandala of flame. I wanted to leave off detail from the figure, giving it a reference to the wax sculptures of Medardo Rosso. I painted this in the spring around the time of Pentecost, and so orange on a blue background relates to a Pentecost banner I'd painted for my church back in Covington. I added lilies and various other flowery references, and a speckled snake - a fantastic creature that refers to no animal in nature. Note that I painted our cat, Cleo, into the painting - as well as a bunny. Note also the black cat painted onto my studio wall. Note as well the word "paint" painted onto the paint on my studio wall. The band of stars refers to Velesquez's painting of the Immaculate Conception. The crescent moon refers to Turkey and French pastry. When I finished this painting, I realized that its iconographic program was so tendentious and overwrought that it was indeed ridiculous.