Every Fish is Numbered

This painting is titled Every Fish is Numbered. It's 24" by 36", and done in oils on panel.

For me, this painting is about the passage of time, about how the years wriggle and slip by as one watches, amazed and bemused. I don't insist on that reading, however! And I didn't start with it, rather it suggested itself as the painting progressed.

The bed is inspired by the one that Winsor McCay drew for Little Nemo. In my opinion, that comic strip is one of the greatest pieces of 20th century visual art. It's still amazingly good, nearly a hundred years later.

(click to enlarge)

Here's a detail of fish #15. If you click on it, the enlargement will be more or less actual size.

(click to enlarge)

And here's a detail of the seated character.

(click to enlarge)

You can see more of this painting here: