dEMOCRACY IN AMERICA, 2024
Artwork has a poor if not feckless track record for being a relatively ineffective political tool. Picasso’s Guernica is a rare exception, which was only too accessible for years at MoMA and now hangs guarded be two watchful guards at the Reina Sofia in Madrid remaining powerful and arguably one of the best paintings of the 20th Century.
My dEMOCRACY IN AMERICA is at best a timely gesture in the shadow of the current Presidential Election, the July 4, 2026 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and the 2035 200th Anniversary of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy In America. Having done this a while and slogans like The Washington Post’s Democracy Dies In Darkness, inspire me to create such a statement within an artwork. The other works like AZ helped light the pathway.
![Large mixed media painting by Stephen Zaima, 40" x 155"](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1_dEMOCRACY-IN-AMERICA._1800px-1-1024x547.jpg)
The completed painting, dEMOCRACY IN AMERICA
2024, mixed media on 18 uneven panels, 40″H x 155″L, ode to Alexis de Tocqueville
![Large mixed media painting by Stephen Zaima, 40" x 155". Image shows the beginning of the creation process, with letter and shape stencils.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/7-8_dEMOCRACY-IN-AMERICA-process_1800-1024x667.jpg)
The first step was to map out the lettering and shapes with stencils.
![Large mixed media painting by Stephen Zaima, 40" x 155". Image shows part of the creation process, with holes drilled into the wood substrate of the painting.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/6_dEMOCRACY-IN-AMERICA-process_1800px-1024x780.jpg)
Holes were drilled into the wood substrate to created the circular shapes.
![Looking down on a large mixed media painting on the ground by Stephen Zaima, 40" x 155". Image shows part of the creation process, with holes drilled into the wood substrate of the painting.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/4_dEMOCRACY-IN-AMERICA-process_1800-1024x612.jpg)
Looking down from above once the drilling phase was completed.
![Looking down on a large mixed media painting by Stephen Zaima, 40" x 155". Image shows the stage where paint is applied.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/3_dEMOCRACY-IN-AMERICA-process_1800-1024x328.jpg)
The final phase — adding color — begins.
![Detail of a large mixed media painting dEMOCRACY IN AMERICA (finished work) by Stephen Zaima, 40" x 155".](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2_dEMOCRACY-IN-AMERICA-detail_1800-1024x768.jpg)
A detail of the completed work.
The Making of “AZ”, 2023
![Stephen Zaima's completed painting "AZ" (2023)](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/1-AZ-completed-9X7.5--890x1024.jpg)
AZ, 7.5 feet H x 9 feet W, the completed work.
![detail of Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023).](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/4a-AZ-detail_1800px-768x1024.jpg)
Detail of AZ.
![detail of Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023)](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/4b-AZ-detail_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
Detail of AZ.
![Stephen Zaima working on his painting "AZ" in 2023.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/7-AZ-Stephen-outside_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
Artist Stephen Zaima, working outdoors on the painting AZ.
![The initial paper sketches for the painting by Stephen Zaima, "AZ."](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/6a-AZ-drawing_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
Initial sketches and plans for the painting.
![Image from the studio during the creation of the Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023) depicting a sketchbook with lettering for the painting, letter stencils and paintbrushes.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/6b-AZ-drawing_1800px-768x1024.jpg)
Sketches, stencils and brushes used for the painting.
![Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023), letter stencils are applied.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/5c-AZ-stencil_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
Lettering is sketched using stenciled forms.
![Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023), base layer of wood is depicted.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/5d-AZ-stencil_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
Lettering outlines have been applied.
![Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023), lettering is painted on base layer of wood.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/5b-AZ-stencil_1800px-1024x703.jpg)
The lettering is painted.
![Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023), french curve forms are sketched out.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/5a-AZ-stencil_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
French curve shapes are plotted out.
![Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023), french curve shapes are painted.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/5-AZ-stencil_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
Then the curves are painted.
![](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/3a-AZ-drilling_1800px-1-1024x885.jpg)
Power tools were used to finish the painting.
![Stephen Zaima painting "AZ" (2023), the completed painting, hanging on the wall.](https://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1-AZ-9X7.5_1900px--768x1024.jpg)
The completed work, finished in 2023 in Stone Ridge, New York.
Pandemic Painting Project: “Rabbit Hole”
The pandemic challenged many of us in unexpected ways, and for me that included a reckoning of sorts concerning my commitment to making art: Did I still have the creative juice to go big and bold? I believe this 16-foot-long triptych answers that question.
![The completed painting "Rabbit Hole", by Stephen Zaima. The painting is several feet wide, so the artist worked outdoors.](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/6-Rabbit-Hole_1800px-1024x596.jpg)
Rabbit Hole, a 7’H x 16’W triptych, was painted entirely outdoors.
![Initial sketches for the Stephen Zaima painting, "Rabbit Hole."](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1-Rabbit-Hole_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
I made this small grid drawing of two French curves that I then transferred to a larger grid.
![A grid drawing that formed the base structure of the painting "Rabbit Hole" by Stephen Zaima.](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2-Rabbit-Hole_1800px-1024x753.jpg)
The full-scale grid drawing was then attached to the linen canvas with the two French curves at full size.
![The painting "Rabbit Hole" by Stephen Zaima in progress. The images shows the large cartoon (a full-scale preparatory drawing) was punched with holes and used to paint marks that form a pattern once the paper is removed.](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/3-Rabbit-Hole_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
Once attached to the painting, the large cartoon (a full-scale preparatory drawing) was punched with holes and used to paint marks that form a pattern once the paper is removed.
![The. painting "Rabbit Hole" by Stephen Zaima in progress. The images shows materials used in the painting: Oil paint is from Zecchi Colari Belle Arti in Florence, Italy and encaustic is from R&F Handmade Paints in Kingston, NY.](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/4-Rabbit-Hole_1800px-1024x644.jpg)
Oil paint is from Zecchi Colari Belle Arti in Florence, Italy and encaustic is from R&F Handmade Paints in Kingston, NY.
![The painting "Rabbit Hole" by Stephen Zaima in progress. Images shows the partially completed painting with some of the materials and tools (paints, heat guns, gloves) used to create it.](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/5-Rabbit-Hole_1800-1024x677.jpg)
Work in process, including electric griddle and heat guns to work with encaustic and blue nitrile gloves to work with oils and solvents.
![Painting Detail, Rabbit Hole, oil encaustic on linen 84" high x 192" wide](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rabbit-Hole-detail-1-1800px-1024x759.jpg)
Two painted linen canvas footprints with grommets that were hand sewn onto painting with darning yarn.
![Painting Detail, Rabbit Hole, oil encaustic on linen 84" high x 192" wide](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rabbit-Hole-detail-2-1800px-1024x728.jpg)
Detail of the hole in the top right of the painting, which is surrounded by white encaustic.
![The painting "Rabbit Hole" by Stephen Zaima completed.](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/7-Rabbit-Hole_1800px-1024x768.jpg)
Finished three-panel painting, with oil paint, encaustic pigment and mixed media applied to a linen canvas, with stretchers by Syman Art Services.
![Painting, Rabbit Hole, Triptych,2021, oil and encaustic on linen, 84 in high x 192 in wide](http://stephenzaima.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rabbit-Hole-3-panel-final-composite-1800px-1024x448.jpg)
The painting was finished on September 11, 2021 in Stone Ridge, New York.