O’no

O' no

10.5'' x 15.5''

The modernistic circles and bars in the background seemed nautical, like the portals of a space ship that had launched this landing party. The staunch figure with a short sword in his belt, standing in the beached boat whose boards were wrought from the stripes of others' tunic and pants' legs, reminded me vaguely of classroom reproductions of a painting of our first President. The larger character with wings and antennae was known to me by name as soon as I got to painting him/ her. The letters were O, N, and O, which I thought also a good title for the picture but every time I’d try to write it I kept getting an apostrophe or accent insisting on a place therein. Then I realized why. I was getting those vibes about the angel’s name because of the fellow hurled down in the foreground clasping his brow. The picture's title and the angel's name were also his exclamation, "Oh, no!" ergo: O' no.