December Show

Over the summer, I made a few new pieces for a potential show in a local restaurant. The show was  postponed, and I wanted to exhibit them to see how they look outside of the studio. Although they may be new to you, gentle reader, they are based on pieces I was working on in early 2007, prior to picking up oil painting.  I always liked the technique, and wanted to revisit it on a bigger scale -- but I still want to make them LARGER! - sometime.

They are completely experimental. They are designed to be more atmospheric and evocative rather than  adhere to the realistic formalism that I've been working on. They are intended as decor. There is no "image" or subject, but I do get a strong impression of aerial landscapes and deep aquatic/neurological organisms.  that's how they got their names.

Each panel is built on a wooden box frame, which allows them to sit about 1.5" off the wall. They can be hung vertical, horizontal, together or separate. This is how they look in scale to each other -  they are from one 48x96 piece of board.

and here is a detail of the red ones - I call them Mission to Mars.

and detail of the white one (above right panel)- I call them Cnidarians.

I just think they look cool - and would look cool in a variety of settings.

more skull painting

Another painting over an existing work...24"x24"
ivory black, titanium white, yellow ochre and burnt sienna.


here is a before and after gif. the original image was done in 2008.

Absinthe painting

Absinthe painting - 24x32" oil on canvas - in progress....
This is an animated gif, so give it a chance to load...

Created using a very limited palette: 

• Burnt Sienna
• Ivory Black
• Titanium White
• Raw Sienna
• and a touch of Cadmium Yellow and Cad Red.  

I intend to glaze to glaze this with Venetian Red as well.

Reverence of the Gorillas

...and this is the evolution.  The trinity of gorillas with their gold leaf halos in various stages/degrees of understanding.  I think this one lends itself to multiple interpretations form the viewer.  I'm not sure if this is because we as humans see glimpses of ourselves in primates, but I will save my own view on this one.

Technically, as this piece progressed, it became about balancing the composition while maintaining the movement and focus. The circles became an important device to connect the gorillas and to contrast the heavily textured and linear fur and grass elements.They also serve to break up the space that was initially dominated by the central, more complete, silverback. 

Possibly, the most successful device in the image is the one that is intentionally missing. the eyes of the gorilla at the left... eye contact with a gorilla can be interpreted as a sign of aggression on your part, and they will attack. leaving out the eyes allows the viewer to look deeper and longer, and share an experience communicated solely through the eyes.

The animals...

The animals keep coming out lately. This time it is gorillas. I recently finished a wolf.  What I learned from that picture is that fur is where it is at for me right now.  It presents a very different problem from skin or other textures. It plays right into my desire to "noodle" and fixate on details. All the while it MUST STILL DESCRIBE FORM. So here is my gorilla after one day. He measures 32x32 and is oil on linen.  yes, that is a gold leaf halo.

I have been painting all of my animals with roughly the same palette - Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black, Titanium White, and glimpses of Cadmium Red where it counts. This gorilla will make 4 animal paintings for a show I've got coming up called "Beauties & Beasts"  where I will mix in a few of my portraits of women with the animals. The show is in a barber shop, so I have to watch what I put up...  i.e. no nudie pics or orgies.

I'm planning on adding another gorilla to this a well, more of a head study. I have an idea for gold leafing the eyes....

animated lions

the animated painting of the lions. in crappy animated gif format. click it to see it bigger.

Lions 6

more lions....

Lions 5

Lions day 4

now to study Lions...

This is 42x32 oil on linen study of lions.  I have been taking pics of it everyday that I work on it. I'm working similar to the horse studies and just plunking down the images.  They will overlap and intertwine.  I'll post more of the progress shots later.

Horse study continues...

Horse study continued

horse studies - 32"x48" - oil on linen - inspired by Chauvet caves

horse studies

This is my current study of horse anatomy.  I'm learning animals.