Flourish and Decay, 2020

32" x 24" acrylic on board; Basic Frame

A reclining figure lies half-consumed by the forest floor, its body merging seamlessly with root, branch, and soil. Blossoms sprout from the face in place of vision or breath, a strange flowering that blurs the line between beauty and suffocation. The painting recalls ancient myths of metamorphosis, where human forms dissolve into nature: Daphne into laurel, Narcissus into the flower that bears his name. Yet here the transformation is not an escape but a surrender.

The image suggests a spirit caught in the timeless cycle of decay and renewal, its human features overtaken by the fecund force of the earth. Like the medieval Green Man, this figure is both a guardian and a warning: a reminder that all flesh returns to root and soil. Its blossoms twist with uncanny vigor, hinting at a vitality beyond human comprehension.

Flourish and Decay envisions a myth where humanity itself becomes the fertile ground, a forgotten giant whose body is reclaimed by the forest, feeding its endless growth. The figure is at once haunting and generative, a symbol of dissolution into the living whole of the world.

Reverse: Random maniacal sketch.