I am currently painting a new surreal work vagely in the style of Salvador Dali. The local museum is exhibiting a selection the drawings by Dali. Water colors illustrating "Dante's..the divine comedy" They have invited the artist of northern Colorado to create surrealist art to be exhibited in an accompaning show called "Twirling dali's Mustache"

Initially I was inclined to decline the invitation because I have never studied or worked in that style of art. Having said this, it was then pointed out to me by a friend that some of my art was strongly surrealistic.

When i realized that this was indeed the case, I embraced the project with minimal reservations. I researched dali's art looking for something I could connect to. He loved the mass of rhinos and elephants on long skinney spider legs. A stark red rose floating in a dreamy green sky was also a iconic image i could identify with. As I sculpt bronze rhinos and paint still lifes, these were perfect images to inspire me.

With these images as a starting point i proceeded to sketch and paint a small working oil model in my own style. Once i had a working concept, I enlarged the painting on another canvas that would be submitted to the museum show.

The resulting work is called "Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder".

It shows a heavy bodied bronze rhino with a large golden eye in it's stomach calmly surveying a jeweled rose floating in the turquoise cloud filled sky-space and landscape below. Another iconic image beloved of dali was snails.

A bronze snail is riding on the back of the rhino that is supported by improbable thin, bony, segmented legs in a startling landscape of snow covered mountains,and floating chunks of ice. All appearing suspended, sinking into burning lava.