#6 - The Guardian

I've been thinking a lot about what it means to be a man.

Not the caricature of masculinity that we sometimes see portrayed as aggression, dominance, emotional distance, or the need to prove how tough we are.

I'm interested in something deeper.

Strength that protects. Courage that serves. Responsibility. Resilience. Compassion. Fatherhood. Faith. Work. Sacrifice. Love.

All of the things that can shape a man into someone others can depend on.

That is the idea behind my new series exploring positive male masculinity and the many qualities that make a man who he is.

And the first painting is The Guardian.

A bear felt like the right place to begin.

The bear represents a kind of strength that doesn't need to announce itself. It is powerful, capable of tremendous force, but it can also be protective, patient, and fiercely devoted to what is its own.

There is something almost ancient about that kind of strength.

The Guardian isn't about aggression. It's about responsibility.

A guardian doesn't seek conflict. He stands between danger and the people or things entrusted to him.

That idea has become increasingly important to me as I've thought about what masculinity means—not just as an abstract idea, but as something I've experienced through being a husband, a father, a son, a friend, a Marine, an artist, and simply a man trying to become better with age.

I don't want this series to portray perfect men.

I want to explore real strength.

The strength to protect without controlling.

The strength to lead without dominating.

The strength to provide without expecting recognition.

The strength to admit when you're wrong.

The strength to endure.

The strength to love deeply.

The strength to be vulnerable when vulnerability is required.

And sometimes, the strength to stand your ground when something important needs defending.

There are many different parts that make a man a man, and I want each painting in this series to explore one of them.

The Guardian is where I'm beginning.

Not because strength is the only thing that defines masculinity, but because I believe strength becomes meaningful when it is used for something beyond ourselves.