Changes

Changes are coming to the blog soon. Stay tuned...

Unsaid

5" x 5" Mixed Media on Paper

"We are masters of the unsaid

words, but slaves of those we 

let slip out."

    -- Winston Churchill

Miles to Go

12" x 12" Mixed Media on Wood 

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep."

  -- Robert Frost

The Speed of Life

12" x 12"  Mixed Media on wood panel

"That's the shock: All cliches are

true. The years really do speed by.

Life really is as short as they tell

you it is."

                               -- David Bowie

Abstract Panda

12" x 12", Acrylic on wood panel

"The world is quiet here."

-- Lemony Snicket

Calm Amidst The Chaos

12" x 12", Acrylic on wood panel

"Our real discoveries come from chaos,

from going to the place that looks

wrong and stupid and foolish."

-- Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters

Reeds in the Mist

12" x 12", acrylic on wood

Mantra

12" x 12, Mixed Media on Wood Panel

This is a painting I did as an assignment for a class taught by Nicholas Wilton. I'm learning a ton! We had to use a limited palette this week of black, white, dark red and yellow ochre (and any colors that resulted from mixing them). I wrote out Mary Oliver's famous poem "Wild Geese" many, many times in the hair of the figure. This one is hanging in my study. 

Halcyon Days

12" x 12", Mixed Media

"Then for the teeming quietest, happiest days of all!

The brooding and blissful halcyon days!"

-- Walt Whitman

from the poem "Halcyon Days"

They Come In Threes

12" x 16"  mixed media

I am experimenting with mixed media. This painting has oil, oil pastels, cold wax and acrylics. They all played nicely together. :)

Echoes

12" x 16" oil and cold wax

"... And then I listened:

I was not saying anything;

...and you could not hear me."

-- James Tate

Sailing Along

8" x 8" oil/wax on cradled panel

I'm still learning to manipulate the oil paint and cold wax medium. It is definitely different! But I have a few experiments going that I like. This was not one of them. Ha! But it was a learning experience and that is always helpful moving forward. 

More Portrait Fun

I just finished another amazing class with Misty Mawn. I always come away inspired after her yearly workshop. This one was no different.

She introduced a new (to me) technique of working with pastels and I loved the effects. These two stylized portraits, using Andy Warhol as a reference image, were done with that technique. It's fun drawing and re-drawing the same image just to see how it differs each time. And painting with the pastels was just the icing on the cake.

Although my work is shifting in lots of different directions lately, I will always come back to the portrait for the pure enjoyment of it. I love drawing and painting faces and then collecting my paintings into a "rogue's gallery" that I thoroughly enjoy looking through. ;)

Beach Scene

12" x 6"     Cold wax and oil

I thought I would try an abstract beach scene while thinking about warmer weather on the way. Still playing with oil and cold wax. I love the medium. It makes it a lot easier to paint with oils without having to worry about the amount of solvent vs. oil, etc. Just use oil and cold wax. Boom. Drying time is faster too. 

I have about five more in progress with this medium. Wanting to really experiment with some things and how they react together. Always fun to just play without worrying about the outcome. I will post if any of them turn out.  ;)