Queen of Spades 2012

Małgorzata Serwatka made this striking painting, Queen of Spades, with mixed media on canvas. It's a real process piece, and you can see how the artist builds up the layers, almost like a collage. There's so much to dive into here - the rough textures, the earthy colors, and how they all come together. Look closely at the Queen’s hair, the way the brushstrokes almost seem to stand on end, creating this incredible sense of depth and movement, that contrasts so sharply with the more graphic areas around her face. I wonder what kind of brush she used to create such a mark? Maybe a dry brush, or something with really stiff bristles? That’s what I love about this painting – it's not afraid to be a little messy, a little raw. It reminds me a bit of early work by Ida Applebroog, in the way she fearlessly combines different media to tell a story. For me, this piece embodies art's ongoing exploration of ideas. There’s no right or wrong answer here, just endless possibilities.