The game of kings and commoners
Acrylic on canvasboard, 8 3/4 x 16 1/2 inches (2007)

One of the Hands series.

The king and queen from opposite sides contemplate each other, while a knight stands by helplessly: it must be my King.

I have played chess a number of times with my son Sean. I am grateful that he allows me at least 12 different moves before blowing my boat out of the water. From what I understand, I have to keep my eye on the bigger picture and try to think several moves ahead (action, reaction). I have read about strategies, and have had a few fleeting glimpses at the moves of master players. I have even read the Scientific American articles on Big Blue!

In a different approach to the game, I turned a set of chess players of my own design and built a 30" square board to play on. While Sean may be impressed by the work, it has not made me a better player. "Practice more" I guess . . . lose less might help too.