FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This is on gallery stretched canvas which means it is stapled on the back and the canvas wraps around the sides.
Poseidon Bear is one of the largest and most personally meaningful oil paintings I’ve done. At 36 x 48 inches, this figure dominates the canvas with a pose inspired by ancient Greek sculpture—specifically the Artemision Bronze, also called the "God from the Sea." That statue, with its thick waist and heroic posture, really stuck with me. I wanted to bring that same energy to a contemporary subject, and make something that celebrates the beauty and power of mature men.
This is part of a broader theme in my work—where I look to the classical world not just for style, but for validation. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is described as older but still strong and attractive. I think a lot of men today—especially older gay men—can relate to that. The tension between how we’re seen and who we are. I try to reflect that in this piece.
The paint is thick and sculptural. I began with a thin alla prima underpainting, then layered over it with oil using palette knives and bristle brushes. Some areas were troweled on with a plastering knife to build up a textured surface that mimics skin and muscle. The background has its own rhythm—applied with layers of thin and thick paint to create contrast and atmosphere.
The pose, with raised arms and turned head, evokes mythic strength. But there's tenderness here too—something calm and self-possessed. The figure could be Poseidon, or a modern-day man at rest, proud of his body and unbothered by how it fits into anyone else’s ideal. I titled it Poseidon Bear as a nod to both ancient gods and the queer bear community, which often gets overlooked in traditional depictions of beauty.
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This is on gallery stretched canvas which means it is stapled on the back and the canvas wraps around the sides.
Poseidon Bear is one of the largest and most personally meaningful oil paintings I’ve done. At 36 x 48 inches, this figure dominates the canvas with a pose inspired by ancient Greek sculpture—specifically the Artemision Bronze, also called the "God from the Sea." That statue, with its thick waist and heroic posture, really stuck with me. I wanted to bring that same energy to a contemporary subject, and make something that celebrates the beauty and power of mature men.
This is part of a broader theme in my work—where I look to the classical world not just for style, but for validation. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is described as older but still strong and attractive. I think a lot of men today—especially older gay men—can relate to that. The tension between how we’re seen and who we are. I try to reflect that in this piece.
The paint is thick and sculptural. I began with a thin alla prima underpainting, then layered over it with oil using palette knives and bristle brushes. Some areas were troweled on with a plastering knife to build up a textured surface that mimics skin and muscle. The background has its own rhythm—applied with layers of thin and thick paint to create contrast and atmosphere.
The pose, with raised arms and turned head, evokes mythic strength. But there's tenderness here too—something calm and self-possessed. The figure could be Poseidon, or a modern-day man at rest, proud of his body and unbothered by how it fits into anyone else’s ideal. I titled it Poseidon Bear as a nod to both ancient gods and the queer bear community, which often gets overlooked in traditional depictions of beauty.
