Illusion and Dual Perception in Acrylic Painting
The Farm Animal Collection explores the use of visual illusion in painting, presenting scenes that can be read in more than one way at the same time. This approach relates to artists such as M. C. Escher, Rob Gonsalves, Octavio Ocampo, and István Orosz, as well as the trompe-l’œil (French for “deceive the eye”) tradition, where familiar subjects and environments shift between multiple readable scenes. In this collection, those ideas are applied through acrylic painting and rural subject matter. The work was created for exhibition at the Lewisville Playhouse and marks a shift from wildlife themes to domestic farm animals while maintaining a focus on perception.
The Process
Painting of a Rooster was completed first and set the visual structure for the collection. The scene was planned in advance and sketched directly onto the canvas using a reference photograph. Acrylic paint allowed for vibrant, layered color, with bright primaries in the rooster and flowers contrasted against a soft, pastel middle ground and a surrounding black field. The animal is centered, with a vague backdrop suggesting a window or opening, rays of light, and flowers placed in the lower right corner.
Painting of a Pig was created later and carries forward the same compositional framework and shared elements. The pig is positioned in the same central placement against a pale, atmospheric backdrop with streams of pastel light. The background remains loosely blended, while the outer edges are fully black. Color was carefully mixed from primaries and white to avoid artificial tones, reinforcing the natural character of the subject. Both works were designed to align in placement, scale, and visual rhythm.
Inspiration & Meaning
Each painting functions as a trompe-l’œil illusion, where the subject can be read in two ways at once. Painting of a Rooster may appear as a rooster outside a window in morning light, or as a tapestry hanging against a dark wall with flowers arranged in front. Painting of a Pig similarly suggests a barn interior viewed through a window, while also reading as a textile-like image displayed within a darker surrounding space. This visual ambiguity connects the two works as companion pieces and turns familiar farm animals into studies of illusion, framing, and perception.
