What's on my eisel these days.

"Cranes"

I've been playing around with making environments with birds recently. I thought it would be fun to share one I recently finished.

Here is an earlier process photo, if you are into that thing....

Here is another painting that is related in subject matter.

"Birds and Pomagranets"

New Print - Radiant Forest

Radiant Forest 8" x 10"

I finally made a print of this painting! It is my absolute favorite accomplishment to date! You can find it in my online shop.

It has been really fun, taking walks in my paintings lately. I have been trying to create worlds where the viewer can go on a bit of a mental trip for a bit as they wander around the piece. MMMM color! color! color!

Here's the Statement I wrote for the show it was in at Plaza Design in Arcata.

Artist’s Statement: March 9th, 2007


Magic:

For the longest time, since I was a youngster, I have been fascinated with magic. I don’t mean the kind of slight of hand stuff that “magicians” do. I mean the real stuff … “MAGIC!” The kind that comes from making a wish. The kind that dreams are submerged in. The kind that happens when you love someone and the whole world glows!

Somewhere along the way I learned the difference between story magic and spiritual magic. The stories are a way to talk about things that we already intuitively know. It is through story magic that we learn how to know and long for spiritual magic.

I learned that spiritual magic comes from focus and discipline; faith and inspiration. Along the way I met many people on many different paths. I read the insightful writings of others. I learned to cultivate my own intuitive magic.

As an artist, I’m finding that the best way for me to talk about magic is to return to the sentiment of my youth. The children that I work with and raise show me the space that can be created, when intuition makes the rules for play; when love is held right out on your chest for all to see!

Two New Paintings for Plaza Design

Gardener's Paradise

Flowers in the Sunlight

Two new Paintings for my Plaza Design Show in Arcata, CA

Opening Friday, March 10th. 6-9pm

First Painting Finished since I started Greeting Card Biz!

Two Birds in a Bush - Acrylic on Wood 22" x 26"

This is my latest painting! It has been 5 and a half months since I have finished a painting. Well, I finished off two paintings a couple of months ago, but they had been started before I started the card business so they really didn't need much...

I like this piece, because I don't often allow myself to be illustrative like this. I've been teaching myself to do this over the last few years.

My artistic lineage is pretty closely aligned with the old prejudices of Abstract Expressionism. In College, "illustrative" was considered an insulting term. It has been a long journey of getting over the my inhibitions and embracing the depiction of such care free subject matter as birds and flowers. I still balk at painting cats and dogs though.

Ah, well maybe someday!

Warmth of the Suns Rays PRINT

This is a new print that I have made. It has been a card for quite a while, and someone recently requested it as a print. The colors seem to print perfectly. I was trying to create an organic paint quality in this piece and that quality seems to work really well with printing. If you want to see one of my favorite painters who probably inspired me to try out the organic look; check out Leslie Price. He was my painting instructor at Humboldt State University.

I was trying to depict radiating energy in this paintig; like sunlight or happiness, or love.

You can find this print and many others in the Shop.