The Studio

An original 16x20 inch acrylic painting on canvas by The Chef Dr. Mark Twain Heaton III. "The Studio" is a deeply personal and conceptually rich self-portrait of the artist's creative world. Set against a warm golden-orange background, the scene depicts a Native American woman in a beaded turquoise necklace and earth-toned dress standing in her studio, holding a white buffalo skull — while on the easel behind her, a painting-within-a-painting shows a lone rider on horseback galloping away into a fiery sunset.

To the right of the easel sits a blue paint cup with brushes and a half-sculpted clay head — the artist's own likeness, mid-creation. The rider on the horse is the artist herself, riding away. The sculpted head is the artist, watching. A meditation on identity, creation, and the duality of the artist who both makes and is made by their work. Signed M.T.H. III by the artist.

• Medium: Acrylic on canvas
• Size: 16x20 inches
• Artist: The Chef Dr. Mark Twain Heaton III
• One-of-a-kind original