The Exorcism of Anne Boleyn $200 (£100)

“Exorcism of That 3-breasted, 6-fingered Witch Anne Boleyn, The (II)” [juvenilia – of sorts 1987, 1989, 1997 / The BITCH Series, pen & ink and acrylic paint on paper and board 16" x 20" FRAMED

This painting has been many things: first a scene from Moliere's play Tartuffe done as a high school French project for extra-credit because my grades were low that term; then repainted for a Halloween exhibition on exorcism at the University of Alaska two and a half years later (for which it wasn't accepted, damn it) as the exorcism of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, who was accused of being a witch and rumoured to have had six fingers on one hand and three nipples. If you look closely here, you can see a second cleavage and that sixth digit. The red fuzz above the characters' heads is magic, as Anne works her own reverse exorcism with a hidden book, bell and candle, and begins to reveal her weapons. Then I moved to Seattle and traded the painting, originally rather large, away to my friend Karen's boyfriend in exchange for a hat I never received. Paul, the friend's boyfriend, a very talented and sweet fantasy milliner, was extremely fond of it for reasons that were always a little cloudy, perhaps it was the male character's elaborate plume-feathered hat. Then Karen and Paul broke up and, hatless, I lost track of Paul as I moved to Europe. All I had left was part of a colour copy I'd once had done. I repainted on the colour copy, with some vague idea of depicting the stereotyping in Disney cartoon feature films – "Disney goes wrong" – but I left most of it as it was and just patched up the faded bits where the colour copy had been torn, and changed the background colour. Its truest incarnation and, I believe, its heart, is its second life as the maligned but still rebellious Anne Boleyn.