Xylo
Xylo (2023)
8½x11 Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Sold
There’s nothing sexy about skin and bone, you’ve gotta have some junk in the trunk. — Amy Lee
Meet Xylo, the latest addition to the Mini Figurative series. Standing completely naked from behind, he’s caught mid-turn, glancing back over his shoulder with a calm, subtle expression that feels completely natural and unforced.
Stances like this are usually the trickiest part of this series, which is by design since my intent from the start has been to use interesting, dynamic poses for most of these figures. Here, because he’s shifting his weight onto one leg while turning his upper body, the muscle groups across his lower back and thighs pull in opposite directions. To make that form look right against our familiar backdrop, I had to be very precise with the light. I used a deep dark palette to anchor his hair, beard, and the heavy line of his spine, then relied on crisp, clean highlights to map out the contours of his shoulders and the curve of his back so the whole figure has a really solid, grounded presence.
