The Bonfire, the Ghost, and Resistance

Published 9/6/2025 | The Naked Lady Gallery & Shop

I was curious about underpaintings, so I threw down a quick layer of magenta before heading out to paint. This was summer of 2024, and I was having a ton of anxiety about Project 2025. I can still feel that when I see older iterations of this painting! I lurched my way to the spot, a half a mile uphill, and started with a charcoal drawing. The roof on that structure is still raw charcoal on the acrylic underpainting.

Sometimes you just see things that need to go into a painting—the bonfire and the ghost, the spirit of our resistance. At the top of the painting, I added chaotic, oppressive geometry, representing ill will imposed by the red hats. In the distance sits the Black Omen, a reference for anyone familiar with Chrono Trigger. From there, I let the painting sit for months.

Following the election, following grief both collective and individual, it became clear this was not the totalitarian takeover many had feared. The American people stood together and said NO. As I revised the piece, the Black Omen and much of the oppressive geometry receded.



Today, the threat remains, but so does the fire of resistance. Viva resistance!

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