David Drum’s Northern Lights, painted in 1982, is an expansive work measuring 32 x 80 inches. Created with oil and raw pigment in lacquer on aluminum laid down on a mahogany panel, this piece is signed in the bottom left corner.

This painting was part of a unique project commissioned by the beauty company Max Factor in the 1980s, where Drum was tasked with creating four paintings for the brand. For Northern Lights, Drum utilized leftover nail polish from the commission. The innovative use of nail polish added a distinct texture and luminosity to the piece, mimicking the ethereal glow of the aurora borealis. The reflective quality of the lacquer and the vibrant interplay of colors enhance the visual impact of the northern lights.

The creation process for this painting was challenging, as Drum had to work with hundreds of open bottles of nail polish simultaneously. The intense fumes from the nail polish posed a severe health risk, nearly causing harm to him during the painting’s creation.

Northern Lights reflects Drum’s ability to transform a commercial project’s leftover materials into a striking work of art, capturing the grandeur of the aurora borealis with an innovative approach.