He and the small unit of men he had been with had been attacked by aircraft earlier that morning. Two dead, one badly wounded, and himself with minor injuries. Their jeep labored as they struggled to make their way to a small oasis that was marked on the map they carried, it was supposed to be neutral territory and many of their troops were in the area.

Eamon walked around and glanced into the jeep and sighed. Sergeant Anderson, the only other survivor, had died. Eamon had known it was coming, the injuries were just too bad, but it was still a frightening reality that he was standing in the desert with a disabled jeep, three corpses and damn little else. He thought for a few moments, then began scavenging items from the jeep, setting them aside and building them into a pack. He then carefully arranged the three bodies to lie in state in the jeep and covered them with a tarp the best he could to keep off carrion birds.

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I am a painter currently living and working in San Francisco, California. I have been painting since the age of 19 when I discovered that the skills I acquired in college art classes could be applied to the examination of my own psyche. Since then, I have used painting as a tool to help me better understand myself, creating honest, humorous, moody and expressive paintings.

Currently, I am compelled to explore freaks of nature, animals whose physiology verges from the normal. Though often considered horrific–especially when created with imperious intent by humankind- they can be endearing as well. When I stumble across their images, I find myself unable to pull my eyes away: pity and revulsion battle it out within me as I peer in fascination at their abnormalities. I know I am not alone in my fascination as images of these unique creatures abound in the media. On the Internet alone they are often the most emailed image of the day, some achieving a near celebrity status.

My latest work “Little Abominations” is a series of animal portraits rendered in a whimsical, brightly colored fashion, giving them a children’s-room feel. This initially distracts from their deformities. Once the ‘wrongness’ of the animals is spotted, the too-vivid colors and over-the top cutesiness seem cloying and twisted. My intent is to re-create for the viewer the juxtaposition between the allure and repulsion I feel for these oddities.

Missy Feigum’s work is on display at San Francisco’s Artist’s Exchange (16th St. near Valencia.) She may be contacted at catsbah@gmail.com or online at www.missyfeigum.com