Grateful Notices: April 23, 2014

Orange and Green Radiance

Oil on canvas, 48 x 84 inches

Commission for a private residence, Houston

This large commission was thrilling to do. The concept was clear - to have the trees go from bright to dark, moving left to right and to use these colors with heat coming in from the back. The couple followed the process from start to finish, watching the development and sharing in the rush that comes with the creation.

The husband made a statement that was a big help to the concept. The oil was pretty far along and he wanted to give me more guidance. His vision was this, "I have a very demanding and stressful job. I think of the trees as being very peaceful but behind them is this hot red-orange place that represents my work." With those instructions, I was off and running. The rest was making the oil something striking, sophisticated and interesting across the surface.

Thank you Houston!

Grateful Notices: April 21, 2014

Ed's View, Tomahawk Lake

Oil on canvas, 36 x 50 inches

Private collection, GA

Heart Shaped Pond

Oil on canvas, 40 x 40 inches

Private collection, OH

Both of these oils are really about the simplest of forms, strip landscapes and skies. Heart Shaped Pond is more about the colors glowing everywhere. In Ed's View, the work is a lot more about the edges of everything with the glowing colors in a secondary role.

It is a great honor for someone to select your works for their homes. Thank you so very much!

In the Studio: Art Class April 14, 2014

I have a number of new things in the works this week.

The two square oils center and right are older starts from a couple of years back. The center one is 30 x 30 and on the right, 40 x 40 inches. They have been lurking in a pile of unfinished oils. I could also call this stack a graveyard for bad starts. There is no need to beat myself up, it was the best I could do at the time.

Good starts are very helpful and provide an efficient path to a completed work. On the other hand, part of a great start is to just be mindful of what makes a good painting. Wolf Kahn has a good template: clarity, drama and contrast.

Part of a good start also means taking chances. You may use unusual colors, higher contrast, stronger brushwork, etc. For me, the idea is to thrill myself in large and small ways.

On the left, oils in progress: top 36 x 48 and bottom 30 x 48 inches.

There are a number of challenges in play here... going for the thrill !