Pablo Picasso had his "Blue Period" and his "Rose Period." I suppose you could call this my "Axe Period" since this is my third hatchet/axe-themed changing portrait in the last few months. Perhaps I'm finally becoming the proverbial "hack?!" Actually, "Aunt Lizzie," "Uncle Harry," and "Midwestern Matricide" are all very distinct in their design and content.

I always liked this photograph and had been meaning to work with it for a while. I thought it had a really eerie atmosphere with the stark lighting, desolate landscape, and the somber expressions on the family members' faces. Like so many photos from that era, it was rather washed out, hazy, and yellowed, but I like it that way. After all, it is supposed to look old, faded, and HAUNTED! The changes in this one are subtle, but quite still startling in their effect. I blurred the severed head to give it a sense of movement, as you often see in those old photographs that took so long for the camera to expose. You can't easily see these minimal changes coming, so it really sneaks up on people!

This portrait is now being offered as a LIMITED-EDITION 16" x 20" version.
The full-frame 16x20 version has an edition size of only 100 pieces and will come numbered and signed by the artist, Edward Allen.

---

CROPPED 8x10 and 11x14 VERSION AVAILABLE!

This version that has been cropped to focus on the children and their hapless mother, as shown. You may purchase that version via Discover, Mastercard, or Visa using the buttons below:

Return to the Main Page