Dead Palmetto

New Orleans Painting #8
May 2011
Acrylic on canvas - 18" x 14"
$625

Diary entry: The south is abundant with natural beauty, but like all places it has it's unique set of perils and pests. This painting represents one of the more ubiquitous pests on the scene, the cockroach or "palmetto bug" as they're commonly referred to here. I've been attacked by mosquitos, swarming hordes of termites and the occasional stinging caterpillar, all of which I can deal with but this is the one I've had the biggest problem with. Truth be told, I didn't do well with these things back in New York either but they have a greater tendency to fly here.

Working on this piece was a bit cathartic for me. Having to stare at something you detest for hours isn't the best way to spend your time but I believe I've come to understand these creatures a little more. They really are intricate little machines... machines I will have no hesitation to continue crushing in all future encounters.