One of my work-points for this painting was a photomontage by Alexander Rodchenko of Russian workers at the White Sea Canal.
Another was The Triumph of Death by Pieter Bruegel the Elder; and an inversion of this title gave me my title.

The large figure at the bottom left: is the painting issuing fourth from his mouth? at least part of it.
Signifying how one word can be the difference between life and death - I was reading Primo Levi's If This Is a Man when I started work on the painting.

Worked from Van Eyk's Last Judgement diptych - very roughly copied the lower parts of both panels - that is: hell and the figures in the foreground at the crucifiction,
then inverted the board because it looked better upsidedown.

My title is a counterpoint to Van Eyk's.

The full title Hank's walk: Beyond the path comes from a poem by Li Po
There was always a stream in the painting, when I read the poem the thoughts I was having about the painting coalesced.

Wandering Up Ample-Gauze Creek on a Spring Day

At the canyon’s mouth, I’m singing. Soon
the path ends. People don’t go any higher.

I scramble up cliffs into impossible valleys,
and follow the creek back toward its source.

Up where newborn clouds rise over open rock,
a guest come into wildflower confusions,

I’m still lingering on, my climb unfinished,
as the sun sinks away west of peaks galore.

(Translated by David Hinton)