Behind Every Smile, There Be Teeth

This oil on canvas panel self portrait was done while self-quarantined. I was feeling punchy, not my normal self, and started playing with my black bear skull wondering what art could be made from it. I began thinking about how beneath a friendly exterior lies a strength that is hidden by the affability I usually project, and how this beast has protected me and those I love when I've needed her. On the B-side though, and since personalities are rarely simple, she has been known to lash out when hurt or cornered. This painting of my inanimate friend grinning for the camera along with me is a playful metaphor for the fangs that reside, sheathed until needed, just behind the sunshine of any smile.