JJ Worden

Behind the Painting

Originally created for a gallery show, "Facing the Heat" captures that blinding, overwhelming sensation of a peak summer afternoon when the air is so heavy you can actually see the temperature. Working at a smaller 8x10-inch scale required absolute intention—there was no room to hide a lazy mark or overwork a section. To mimic the bleached-out quality of a scorching sun, I kept the background stark and light, using primary magenta and deep teal shadows to create a vibrating contrast against the blazing yellow and orange underpainting peeking through. This carries all the heat of a midsummer day right on the panel.