Green Eyed Horns – Travis Louie

There is an Arab proverb that says “Love sees sharply, hatred sees even more sharp, but Jealousy sees the sharpest for it is love and hate at the same time”.  When I saw this painting on my travels, it brought this quote to mind.

Travis Louie is a painter, who has developed another world which stemmed from tiny drawings and the vast amount of writing in his journal.  You will find that a lot of his work appears to be grounded in Edwardian or Victorian times, with portraitures of odd beings against a stark background.  The dress sense and looks of the subjects reflect this period of time.  There is an unusual thread which connects these characters which shapes who they are and how they live. Louie sometimes divulges elements of his characters origins and sometimes leaves them a complete mystery, allowing his audience to create their own background to his intriguing imagination.

These pictures are created using acrylic paint washes on smooth boards, which give a misty, ethereal feel to all of his work.

This particular painting was created for the anniversary of the fortieth anniversary of the Heavy Metal Magazine show.

The feminine being is a representation of a demon, curled horns and wings which look almost like spilt milk.  Her face is set in an almost ambivalent expression, yet her eyes tell the whole story.

With just the eyes being picked out in green, this being seems to have been struck by the demon jealousy.  Potentially prior to this, she could have been a well meaning nymph, yet jealousy has exposed the devil within.  The green is particularly subtle and can be easily missed, which just adds to the devil like being which is being afflicted.

For once there is no hidden meaning in this painting, or any story which could relate to the artwork for me to relay to you, so hopefully you will just enjoy this painting as much as I do.

If you would like to see more of Travis Louie’s work you can find it here.

What do you think of this piece?  Why not tell me in the comments?  Like this post?  Why not share it?