June 21, 2012 - Clouds

It's a minor miracle that I finished this one on time.  Over the past few weeks I got really
busy and kind of stymied about what to paint next.  And actually, this one really isn't even a
painting- it's  pastel on canvas.  I like the way it turned out but my procrastination level hit an
all-time high with this one. I did it at the last minute and didn't put as much time into it as I
would have liked.  I probably shouldn't admit that, but sometimes I say too much.  In my
last post I spoke about wanting to move in a more imaginative direction but when faced
with what that would be I found myself stuck.  I feel like I'm on the cusp of some kind of
turning point in my art but haven't formulated what that's going to be yet.  It's like I can feel
it, but can't see it.  In the meantime, I've been thinking of doing a cloud study so that's what
this is.

Painting #11
18" x 24"
pastel on canvas

 

June 7, 2012 - Night Sky

I really enjoyed working on this one.  I liked it because I did it from imagination and memory rather
than looking at an image. While I enjoy doing representational works derived from photos, it
was refreshing to do something different.  It put the fun back into it for me.  This one is based on my
recollection of how on a clear night where I grew up, the night sky would teem with stars.  It doesn't look like this where I live now by the beach.  Too much marine layer and too many city lights.  The
nights simply aren't as dark here- artificial lighting is everywhere.  For instance, if the shades are open in my bedroom- I can literally read in bed with no lights on.  Artificial lighting is not necessarily good for us- it messes with our circadian rhythms.  Sometimes you'll hear a bird chirping at 3am-they're confused because the streetlights are so bright that it could be morning.  When I go home to  visit my parents, I'm struck by how dark and how quiet it is.  The only light comes from the moon, and the only noise you hear are the sounds of nature, which are soft and subtle instead of street noise in the city. I have to say though don't really mind street noise- I'm so used to it that
I find it strangely soothing.

After finishing this one, a friend and I set all 10 paintings out the other night and looked at them together as a group.   It was an interesting thing to do.  Even though I consider this one quite
different than the others because of the way I did it, it still looked like my work.  I'm wondering if this piece may be a turning point in this series for me.  I've been wanting to move into a more imaginative direction so maybe this piece is a bridge to that.  I have no idea what my next piece will be, but I kind of like that- it feels like freedom.
 
Painting #10
18" x 24"
acrylic on canvas

May 24, 2012 - Windy

I love the wind.  Well, I love the wind to a certain extent.   My boating friend
doesn't though in terms of being on the water.  High level winds make being
on the water less fun than moderate amounts of wind.  Now that I've gone
out on his boat a couple times I can understand this even though I don't
have anything to compare it to since I've not really been out on a summery
wind-free day. He swears there are days when the water is flat and glassy
but since I've never experienced that, it's difficult to imagine water with
little motion.  I just like being out on the water although admittedly the
wind does make it colder.  It's  kind of like when I lived in NYC one
winter and dealt with the concept of windchill which was something
I'd never fully experienced until living there. I can only say one thing
about that: BRRRRR.  Palm trees are a great indicator of wind because
they're tall, they're everywhere and you can tell how windy it is by their
sway and how their palm fronds are behaving.

Painting #9
18" x 24"
mixed media  

May 10, 2012 - Completion

This painting is based on a piece I did during my daily drawing project on July 14, 2011 called
"Courtship".  I really loved this image when I came across it initially- the body language of these
two creatures emanated a simple grace that I found myself quite taken by.  I thought it would
translate well into a larger image and decided to do a painting of it.  So I started one, sketched it
out, put some layers of paint on it, got frustrated and never finished it.  For six months it's been
sitting in my studio in that unfinished state, across from the couch where I watch television,
mocking me.  Not finishing a painting is something I've done often in the past.  It's a really
frustrating thing to leave something unfinished like that.  I've always been a strong starter and
a poor finisher in many areas.  When I have a deadline- no problem, the job gets done, but left
to my own devices quite often I'll start something with fortitude which then dwindles into a lack
of interest which then turns into an unfinished project.  And this has happened A LOT. 

So, when I was thinking about what to paint a couple weeks ago, I looked across the room at this
one and a little voice inside my head whispered: "Finish that one mb.  Don't start another until you
finish it.  Completing this one would be more satisfying than starting another"  So I finally did.
And it was hard to go back in and fix the stuff that stumped me the first time around but I did it
and boy am I glad I did.  It was completing the cycle- closing the circle of the painting if you
will.  It makes me want to go back and finish all my unfinished paintings. Either that or get rid
of them altogether to make room for new ideas.

Painting #8
11" x 14"
mixed media  

April 26, 2012 - Wayfarer

I think this might be the smallest painting I've done since high school- it's only 8" x 10".  This was
sort of by accident really- I've been working on a mixed media surface called "clayboard" and my
local art supply store had only one panel left, which was this size.  I admittedly consider it more of
an illustration rather than a painting because it's so little.   I was also going to name this one "Flight"
then realized that's what I called last week's painting.  Duh.  So instead, I thought of wayfarer or
traveler because that's what this bird appears to be doing.  I daydream about being a wayfarer often-
of just setting out and meandering around the world seeing and experiencing things for the rest of
my life.  But although I dream of doing this, I admittedly like day to day routine.   I'm about 50/50
on this one- I want adventure, but I like stability.  I guess I'll just have to figure out a way to do
both.  And really, I guess it's just a matter of perception.  We can infuse adventure into everyday
life just as we can add stability to travel if that is our desire.

Painting #7
8" x 10"
mixed media

April 12, 2012 - Flight

I think I enjoyed doing this one more than the others.  This is ironic because I find large
bugs scary.  This is a June bug in flight.  Despite the fact that I find biggish sized bugs
intimidating I can't deny the beauty and grace of this one in flight.  I think I enjoyed doing
this piece also because it reminded me of my daily drawings due to it's intricacy.  It's another
mixed media piece- a combo of acrylic, water based pencil, colored pencils and graphite. 
I may as well just admit the fact that I enjoy drawing more than painting.  And I'm better at
it.  I'm not sure why I fight this so much- I guess because traditionally painting was
considered the zenith of art.  Drawings were what you did to prepare for doing a painting-
like a preliminary study.  But this is an extremely outdated notion and I know this.  There
are no rules or standards in art anymore- art can be anything and everything nowadays.   I
wasn't sure what this painting project would bring when I began. I thought that maybe I'd
become more skilled at it by doing one every few weeks.  What I've discovered though, is
that I sometimes look at it as a chore, which is not what art means to me personally.  This
one brought the pleasure back into the act of it and I've realized that for me that's all that
matters.  So from now on, I'm not going to worry about the what of what it is- I'm going
to focus on the joy it can bring me if I do whatever the hell I want and not worry about
rules that don't even apply anymore.

Painting #6
11" x 14"
mixed media  

March 29, 2012 - Rabbit

I'm not always sure if I choose the subject or if the subject chooses me.  Or
rather when I say "chooses me" I mean it's a subconscious decision instead
of a premeditated one.   For instance I chose this subject without even
thinking about the fact that Easter is right around the corner.   I picked it
because I liked the image then realized, well, duh- it's almost that holiday. 
I've always loved Easter not because of it's religious connotations necessarily
but because to me it symbolizes fresh starts, the beginning of spring and
at certain points in my life, my birthday has landed on it. In fact, my 16th
and 21st both happened to be on Easter Sunday.  For my 21st, I was in
my tiny hometown visiting my parents, but I had the pleasure of going
down to the store and buying a six pack of Heineken.  I remember
I sat out on the desk in the sun, had a couple beers and felt kind of
grownup.  I'm basically twice that age now, but I remember the day
clearly.   I remember feelings of promise and an expectancy of the idea
that I had my entire life spread out in front of me.   Twenty years have
passed since then and the stereotype is true- as you get older, time
goes faster which kind of sucks.  Luckily on the flip side,  I think
that as time speeds up we simultaneously learn to slow down
and enjoy the moments which is a good thing.

Painting #5
16" x 20"
mixed media