Sunday, April 28th-Been busy...have a couple of studies going and the large pieces seem to capture my intent . Not quite finished but I'm feeling good about where they are headed.  It's all about the color and composition is all I can really say. Either it sings or doesn't. But it's also about mood which would explain them being titled after composers.

This is the 16"x24" study for "Debussy" which is kinda oblivious but works. I really love the Provence Blue at the top and the Pale Cerulean at the bottom ain't bad, either. Photos don't do the work justice- the nuances  are lost but I think most can get the drift

This is the 3ftx4ft version very early days yet...the colors need to fade and blend.

This originally started life as "Colorado" ( see earlier blogs) and after numerous sessions of subtractive painting has become "Sibelius" 3ftx4ft

Early days-working title, "Ravel"

This is the working study for a difficult piece (makes sense given the title) "Wagner." What appears to be black is in fact Indigo and the top is Cobalt Blue on top of a turquoise undercoat/ Both the study and 3ftx4ft need a lot of work abut I'm looking forward to see how they turn out. 

"Sturm and Drang," hopefully. Love the German Romantics.

Better photo of the work study and large version of "Debussy."

I think this is finally finished and named. I thank my sister-in-law, MaryAnne, for the title.

"Good Friday" 3ftx4ft oil on canvas

Monday April 22nd,

Took a day off and enjoyed the full onslaught of true Spring. Did some garden chores and made it into the studio to do some maintenance. Received a lovely book of Wolf Kahn's pastels. He's been an influence before I even knew. Looking forward to moving into the new studio so I can do some table work-- Sometimes I need a break from canvas and oil and need to get small...These are oil pastels and fairly small- the trees are 11"x14"- the others are much smaller. Enjoy.

I did this last year on 5"x8" photo paper with oil pastels and I hadn't yet looked at a Wolf Kahn image. "Black Birches in Fall" 2018. Lulu's collection

This was done tonight. Oil pastels on 11"x14" oil paper. 

"Orchards" 2019

This is in Lulu's collection. Oil pastels. 5"x8" "Lilies" 2018

This is also from Lulu's collection . I have two Jade Tree's in my studio- this is the small one . She's about 10 years old and is fairly large but compared to the 20 year old that she shares my studio with me, she's small. Oil pastels on oil paper 11"x14" 2018

Saturday, April 20th,

I have fallen in love with the work of Wolf Kahn. The simplicity of his brilliant work doesn't obscure the incredible complexity and depth of his beauty. His writing is equally as exquisite and I came across this utter gem,"...This episode provides another instance of the futility of judging the quality of one's own work, except in retrospect. I would like to hang these words above my studio door: "I just work here.""

I have done just that...

Friday, April 19, 2019

It's Good Friday, and in lieu of the madness that absorbs our Republic, I can only work. We are being "gaslighted" on an industrial level. I withdraw from that life and  commit to this life.

So it starts with this:

Squiggles of glorious oil paint and with a 36" squeegee and a silly bloody baking tool it becomes this:

"Lulu Amour" 36" x 48" Oil and Printers Ink

Wed. April, 17th- been a while and I thought it best to do some updates otherwise, what's the point of   doing this bloody blog ( I'm gonna call it a plog-get it?)The "Painting Outside The Lines" show at ACE 40.8 on Saturday, April 13th was an overwhelming success. Gallery estimated that around 200 people showed up and I was absolutely floored by the response of the good folks of Decatur. Even more mind blowing was that paintings were bought by some really wonderful people and I feel like my paintings have found great homes. First, I want to thank my beloved, LuLu, for all her support and belief. To my fellow ACEs, Greg, Tiffany, Shaun and Nicki, Shelby, Jerry and Brett; thank you for your unswerving support and belief. I am truly humbled by your love and kindness. To all the fine folks who came out, thank you so much. And to my patrons, wow...

Hoping to get into the new studio by the end of May and that will mark, for me, a new beginning. Larger space, larger canvases, more work...

Keep painting...

"Martha, My Dear" (New Orleans Series)- oil pastels on paper with linseed oil wash

Tiffany & Gregory Mendez Collection

Thursday, April 4th

Spent the night cleaning my brushes which is such a Zen meditation for me and a reminder of how important my tools are. They require proper maintenance. Also tidied up the studio in preparation of the upcoming show and fooled around with some color ideas-see below.

"Disney Fantasy"

So, what we have here is a 16"x24" canvas with 4 oil pastel sticks (small) that I thought would translate really nicely as a larger work. Now, the pastels I used are very different from the RF oil sticks that I work with and I usually use the 16x24 as a model for the larger canvas' to see if the color ideas work. Think Debussy...

"Colorado"

So this how it worked out on a 3'x4' canvas using RF oil sticks. I turned it upside down and it took another dimension. Blue sky, snowy mountains, green forests etc et al ( hence Colorado) and as my visual patron Joan Mitchell used to say, "I carry landscapes around inside of me." But it's not what I wanted (cosmic laughs can be inserted at this juncture) but I'm not giving up. The light in my wee studio is terrible for photos but is a fair approximation of the colors used but the 4th shade is washed out. Gonna let it dry some and do a layer of the original oil pastels over the  RF oil sticks which I used for this iteration. Laurie loves this but I'm missing the Debussy dreaminess of the smaller study which for some goofy reason I named "Disney Fantasy." I think in honor of the first movie I saw-1953/54 "Peter Pan" at a drive-in outside of Gary Indiana. There was a nature trailer before the movie on coral reefs with music that 20 years later I recognized as Debussy's "La Mer."  Sorry for the self-indulgent digression but it is my blog...

So let's see how this works out-I will venture that it becomes something completely different and will be the painting "it' wants to be. I am not the author-only the messenger.

Tuesday April 2nd

Well, here's the poster for the show and some new work. I am a pig in shit. Trust me. Thanks to Shelby Nower from ACE 40.8 for the great poster. Thanks to Greg Mendez for the unbelievable curation and thanks to all the fab folks at ACE 40.8 for making an old man ecstatic. Keep working.

Oil Pastels 4/2/2019  "Our Lady Of The Flowers" 11"x24" 

Spring is coming--it better!

OK...so I'm a "one trick pony" but I'm gonna ride this sucka til it drops. This is a work study canvas 16"x24" with oil pastels and mineral spirits to see if it's got "legs" to make to 3'x4' and I'm thinking yeah. Not sure if I can make the transition to big oil sticks otherwise I go with the oil pastels and blending stick. I'm thinking Debussy, "La Mer."