Original oil on canvas painting. 24x24x1.5. Framed.

This piece was inspired from my experience in 2020. During the Pandemic, I participated in the Blood and Thunder’s “Social Distancing Skate Club.” I put on the club t-shirt with my mask and skated alone outdoors. While skating along the Mary C Greenway trail in Denver, these painted signs appeared on the sidewalk along the trail. Even in the great outdoors and open air, they painted these vivid reminders to protect ourselves and others and perpetuated fear. I snapped a photo at the time which has evolved into “Social Distortion.” Music is a significant influence on my work. The title of this piece is a nod to the band and the overall tone of their punk/rockabilly music. The skates are denim to represent that we all want the same thing. We want the idealized America. We want the wonderful comfort of a well-worn pair of jeans. We want that perfect fit and feeling, but there is not a shared consensus as to what that means. Instead there continues to be division in this country (and the world) based on fear and misunderstanding and holding onto belief systems that do not serve peace or unity. This great American dream is out there, but it has to belong to everyone. Simply put. You can’t just skate with one foot.