The Last Thing I Saw

In this painting I tried to get to the idea of how final gun violence is.  Using a gun is not a way to end anything but a life.  I tried to make the subject of the violence the viewer, with the title and the positioning of the shooter.  I am aware of how similar this is to the paper target shooters use.  I am hoping that this similarity doesn’t detract from the message.  The message is as the title states, “The Last Thing I Saw.”  It seems that if our senses are heightened at the moment of our death we might just remember each detail of that moment, at least in the foreground.  I can’t imagine we would take in the surrounding countryside at that precise moment - maybe we would.  

When I started to shape this idea I struggled with the proper subject matter and point of view that would not be too similar to the tragic news reports we see nearly every night on tv.  When my brain settled on this view, it felt right - it is immediate, harassing and engaging.  I don’t imagine anyone would like to stand there for very long to look at it, either.  The flare that is starting to explode in the chamber creates a situation best left behind, not pondered.

I am also hoping that viewers don’t think this trivializes the daily news reports or sensationalizes gun violence in any way.  My intent is exactly the opposite.  As a result of doing this painting, I realized that the only reason somebody would have a hand gun is to point it at another person and pull the trigger.  Many people have guns - I don’t - and they are used properly and kept safely locked away from others who might be running on emotion and adrenaline.  Some people have guns and they should not.  My guess is that a lot of the safe gun owners have guns to protect themselves from those other people.


Size: 16.5 inches x 18 inches
This painting is not yet framed
Price: $1200.00 (This price does not include applicable sales tax or shipping)