Bad Habit

This work confronts the viewer with unapologetic intensity. The figure is centered, frontal, and commanding—mouth open in an act that reads as both invocation and refusal. She is not ornamental, nor passive. She asserts herself fully, occupying space with defiance and control. The imagery draws from historical iconography while deliberately subverting it, transforming reverence into autonomy and restraint into power.

Painted in oil on a prepared panel, the surface is rich and controlled, with careful transitions between flesh, fabric, and shadow. Gold leaf forms a radiant halo-like structure that fractures and glows against the dark ground, introducing tension between permanence and rupture, sanctity and rebellion. The contrast amplifies the figure’s presence, reinforcing a sense of untamed authority rather than submission.

The painting is finished in a black frame with gold accents, echoing the internal palette and elevating the work to a refined, exhibition-ready presentation.

Details

• Medium: Oil paint with textured, hand applied gold leaf

• Surface: Prepared panel

• Dimensions: 14 × 18 inches (unframed)

• Signed Certificate of Authenticity included

• Frame: Vintage black lacquered with gold accents, installed hanging hardware

This piece is intended for collectors drawn to contemporary figurative realism that explores power, defiance, and the darker currents of feminine strength through classical materials and disciplined technique.