Spring Dreaming

Well, they weren't kidding about this being a harsh winter here in the Pacific NW.  Seems like it's been one winter storm after another.  I know, I shouldn't complain to those living in places that experience WINTER every year, but we don't live in the Pac NW for harsh winters, thank you very much.  I'm ready for SPRING in a big way.

These are two new paintings from a series of abstract florals inspired by my spring flower fantasies, currently listed for sale on my Daily Paintworks site.

Lifting Fog

I'm pretty happy with the outcome of today's hours of experimentation.  Clayboard with acrylic utilizing negative shape painting.  8" x 8" cradled.  I'll paint the sides black and it will be ready to hang. 

Frost on the Rose Hips

It won't be long now.  Winter's icy fingers are reaching out to wrap around our temperate weather days of late fall.  Like the old saying "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."  I've taken a LOT of foliage photos this late-fall season in hopes of discovering what can happen on Claybord when I focus on the negative shapes and paint deep into the thicket.  Still more work to be done on this one I'm thinking.

Like Ships in the Night

It seems the older I get, the more I see people who bear a vague resemblance to someone I've known in my past. I did more mystery solving in my younger years, trying to make connections with people, and would strike up a conversation to see if there was a reason they looked familiar. I'm older and wiser. Experience has taught me that some acquaintances are best left unrenewed. So they pass, like ships in the night.

This painting, titled "Ships in the Night", was done with oil bar on metallic gold gessoed illustration board.

Body Art

While browsing my photo files for something to share, I ran across this image and I was reminded of the fellow who visited my booth at the farmer's market several weeks in a row asking if I would grant him permission to use one of my designs as a tattoo. I told him that I was not a big fan of tattoos actually. They remind me of that old Rod Steiger movie "The Illustrated Man" in which his character had managed to tattoo EVERY inch of his body with illustrations that became his reality. I eventually acquiesced and granted the gentleman permission to tattoo my painting on his body....what part, I never found out. To date, he has not returned to the market to show me the results. I hope it worked out to his satisfaction.

This painting was done using Oilbar on metallic gold gessoed hardboard (Masonite).

Indian Summer

Ah -- Another Indian summer in the Pacific Northwest. At least that is what it is today. With one more Saturday (for me) at the summer farmer's market, my mind turns to more creative endeavors. I'm anxious to get back to the drawing board (if I can find it under all the flotsam that has accumulated in the past 4 months) and work through the reference photos I've been gathering. My plan is to explore a particular composition from a number of different angles/mediums, beginning with a wild blind contour drawing and maybe ending up with something more realistic....maybe not. I'm really hoping to discover something new...something exciting to carry me emotionally through a soggy fall and winter. I can go a long time on a good artsy tangent.

Tulips on my mind

The last 2 days here in the Pacific Northwest have been the best I can ever recall for April.  It sure helps to lift the spirits in these dark days of human history.