paintings inspired by and based on Into The Abyss by Werner Herzog

Fred Allen, a former member of the tied-down team who used to strap the
condemned to the gurney, had a break down after 125 executions.

Helping to kill people was too much for him. He quit his job and lost his pension.

He didn't care. He wanted to live his "dash".

The "dash: is the space between the day you;re born to the day you die. This
is a portrait of Michael Perry, one of the two men convicted of a triple homicide
in Conroe, Texas. He was executed on the first of July, 2010. He was born on the
9th of April, 1982.  His "dash: was a short and sad one. I'm not sure if that was how
he wanted to live his :dash:. I don't think anyone would.

This is a portrait of Jason Burkett, the other man convicted of the crime,
He escaped the death penalty.

His father, who was also in prison, appeared in the sentencing hearings to tell the
jury what a tragic family life his son had since he was born. This spared Jason
Burkett the death sentence. In the film there was a part where Delbert Burkett
talked about the day when he knew that Michael Perry was going to be executed.
He was beyond sad. When he talked about it, the emotions moved me greatly.

The other part that got me was when he talked about being handcuffed to his son in
 the police van.  He said he felt like a total failure being chained to his son like that,
side by side. I felt a lot for him.