The Cycle of the Game

What inspired That’s Life?

I was recently watching a UFC fight and saw my favorite fighter get knocked out. This reminded me that despite his skill, he could still fall down. I thought about how the cycle of competition repeats itself and that no one can stay a winner forever. That’s the message that I wanted to represent by visually combining a horse race and the game Rock-Paper-Scissors.

What was the process for That’s Life?

This piece didn’t take as long as I expected—around two weeks total. Most of my work is realistic, and for this piece, I decided to work with pastels to exaggerate the scene. I started by gathering reference photos online and then sketching iterations of the scene. At first it was challenging because the composition I was picturing in my head was difficult to capture on paper. I wanted to show the excitement of horse racing plus the gestures in Rock-Paper- Scissors. Sketching the composition took the most time.

How did you decide what materials to use for this piece?

I usually love oil painting and watercolor, but I wanted to create a soft background and setting to contrast with the dynamic scene I had sketched. That’s what led me to pastels—they create a soft feeling, despite the busy composition.

What advice do you have for other young artists?

Draw what you want and treat art as a hobby. Once it becomes work, it becomes less interesting and less fun.