Photographic Art By Skip Nall

LONG HAIR
Traditionally, long hair was always a symbol of masculinity. All of history's great warriors had long hair, from the Greeks (who wrote odes to their heroes' hair) to the Nordic, from the American Indians (famous for their long shiny hair) to the Japanese. And the longer and beautiful the hair was, the more manly the warrior was considered. Vikings flaunted their braids and samurai wore their long hair as a symbol of their honor (they cut their braid when they lose honor).
When a warrior was captured, his mane was cut to humiliate him, to take away his beauty. That custom resumed in what is today military service. There when new soldiers begin their training the first thing they do is cut their hair to undermine their self-esteem, make them submissive and make them see who's boss.
The Romans were the ones who "invented" short hair so to speak, between the 1st and 5th centuries AD.. In battles they believed this gave them defensive advantages, since their opponents couldn't grab them by the hair. This also helped them to recognize each other in the battlefield.
Short hair on men is a relatively new "invention" that has nothing to do with aesthetics.
But today we often see men being humiliated, sometimes called "gay" for wearing long hair, not knowing that short hair is actually the "anti-masculine" and is a repressive social imposition, while long hair symbolizes freedom

I got this cigar by accident...literally. Someone drove through the shop window where I normally buy ci**rs so I drove to their other location. The entire store of this particular location is a humidor so I spent some extra time looking around. I saw this and the lady on the cigar band, like a saloon girl, yelled “Skip try me.” I did and I liked her…a lot.

**rs

I got this cigar by accident...literally. Someone drove through the shop window where I normally buy ci**rs so I drove to their other location. The entire store of this particular location is a humidor so I spent some extra time looking around. I saw this and the lady on the cigar band, like a saloon girl, yelled “Skip try me.” I did and I liked her…a lot.

**rs

This is “Wildflowers at Sunset”.

Sometimes a painting becomes what it wants to be on its own. This is a perfect example of that.

I started this painting to be pastels, using pink and yellow but the painting, as I looked at it with each layer continued to tell me I’m not ready, I’m not finished.

Layer upon layer, each layer producing an anxiety within myself, and even a mild depression, not knowing where to go with it, as it gnawed at me. As I looked at it from a distance and photographed it over and over the painting, kept saying I want more, I need more and I listened.

When it got to the stage where it is now, I still wasn’t sure if it was finished, but I listened to the painting and the paint and it told me it was finished in essence. It gave me permission to walk away from it.

When I finish a painting there is a sense of abandonment and guilt that I have. The only thing that will alleviate that guilt and sense of abandonment is to listen to the painting and let it tell me it’s ready to live on its own.

New 20X24 acrylic abstract Sometimes a painting becomes what it wants to be on its own. This is a perfect example of that.

I started this painting to be pastels, using pink and blue because so often my paintings are darker in color palette

as with all of my paintings each layer produces an anxiety within myself, and even a mild depression, not knowing where to go with it, and what to do next as it gnaws at me. As I looked at it from a distance and photographed it I questioned whether it was finished or not.

A friend suggested I turn it over and BAM I knew it was as finished. sometimes you just have to look at things from a different perspective.

When I finish a painting there is a sense of abandonment and guilt I have. The only thing that will alleviate that guilt and sense of abandonment is to listen to the painting and let it tell me it’s ready to live on its own. But even then there is a sadness.

It is unframed and stretched on wooden stretchers.

“ Stigmata”

Night

Night

Night

New 12x12 inch abstract on stretched canvas available for worldwide shipping. DM for details.

New 12x12 inch abstract on stretched canvas available for worldwide shipping. DM for details.

New 12x12 inch abstract on stretched canvas.

“Stigmata” 36x48 inch acrylic abstract available for worldwide shipping.

Just sold today. 12x12 inch acrylic on canvas. “Waterfall”.

All 12x12 inch are on sale right now for $500.

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Just sold today. 12x12 inch acrylic on canvas. “Waterfall”.

71 years later, this Eisenhower campaign ad still plays perfectly 👏🏻

New abstract in the works. I’m not sure I’ll get this finished before the end of the year. I’m not if it’s not finished. 36 x 48“ abstract acrylic on canvas. ,

NFT about to be released.