When We Were Patriots
30” x 24” unframed, 32” x 26” framed. Oil on canvas.
Pit bulls were once held in higher regard than they are now. Examples include WWI and WWII posters showing pit bulls, with American flags tied around their necks, as symbols of American toughness and resolve. But times have changed. In the painting, “When We Were Patriots,” the flag, rolled ready to be tied around the pit bull mix’s neck, is instead lying protected at his feet. With this change in the attitudes towards the pit bull breed, I can’t help but think about the definition of patriotism and what it means today. The flowers in the background, nasturtiums, symbolic of patriotism, further the theme of the painting.
Detail: Detail of nasturtiums, painted in a manner that allows the blue background to come through, creating shadow and texture on the flowers and leaves.
When We Were Patriots
When We Were Patriots: Imagined Interior
When We Were Patriots: Detail
Information about furniture included in imagined interiors is here.