Fair Shake: A Study in Blue, Resin, and Second Chances

Some paintings are about first impressions. Others—like Fair Shake—are about what happens when you give something a second look, a second chance.

Commissioned by a collector in Carmel, Indiana, Fair Shake was designed as a 48x48 inch centerpiece for a residential space that needed calm, balance, and a bit of quiet energy.

The collector asked for something modern, textured, and full of presence without overpowering the room—and that’s where the idea for Fair Shake began.

The painting’s base is a peaceful blend of light blue and aqua, soft and atmospheric.

But look closer and you’ll notice what sets this piece apart: scraped streaks of warm color—yellows, oranges, and pinks—gently fading in and out around the top and edges. These aren’t showy.

They’re suggestions, like emotional traces left behind. Multiple layers of epoxy resin preserve and enhance this subtle movement, while a final sweep of acrylic across the surface adds tactile texture and rawness.

The title Fair Shake came as the painting found its rhythm.

It speaks to the idea that beauty often comes from what’s been worked through—not what comes easy. This piece is about earning harmony, about scraping back, layering over, trying again, and still finding clarity in the end. It’s a reminder that art, like life, gets more interesting when you let it evolve.

It now lives proudly in the Carmel home, catching natural light, inviting attention without demanding it. Visitors are drawn in by its layered calm—and those who spend more than a few seconds with it often find something new hidden in its surface.

Fair Shake isn’t just a painting. It’s an invitation. A second chance. And a visual reminder that the best things in life deserve both.