Exit Signs (the Revolving Door of Fate) study

Resulting from a series of strange dreams I had, this painting depicts a figure crossing a bridge and heading for the exit sign. In spiritual readings such as tarot or runes, there is a death symbol, the dead man card, and the yew-symbol, respectively. In both divination systems death does not have to mean physical death, nor does it have to necessarily be the end of something in your life, but it can indicate the transition phase of a person, less ominously, it can thus mean a new beginning. This painting also has the meaning of 'exiting' something, but also has the flowering vines suggestive of life, and notice that the door and window have blue sky, revealing that there is something after the exit. An alternate interpretation is that the figure is himself entering the picture (coming from the door) as it has not been made obvious which way the character is going. The 'revolving door of fate' may be a better name for the painting? Perhaps I will include that in the title.

I tried to make a larger version of this painting and I have to say it was quite a disappointment. There are some designs that simply belong on a smaller format such as this one. All to often I see a large oil painting offered at an art store, and think, it would have been much better on a smaller format. Unfortunately the decoration market (something nice to hang on your big, empty wall) has driven the size of paintings up and up, and also driven the quality of paintings generally down (or at least into a homogenous din). I wonder if modern art has suffered in the last hundred years as other forms of visual art have taken over (colour photos, posters, and now digital picture displays), and the remaining niche for art is to act as a sort of distilled down wallpaper in a frame?

Exit Signs (the Revolving Door of Fate) study, watercolour 7.5 x 11" cold press, 2002 (No. 1348a)