Along the River

This is a scene from a Tennessee River trib. I took a photo years ago and I thought it would be a good subject as I am experimenting with trying to get the essence of a scene by abstracting it to basic value patterns. Fun and interesting. Looking forward to taking this concept further.
This is oil on wood panel, 32x34.

Yellow Bike

I wanted to do a large (36x48) casual themed painting and decided a bike would be a nice subject. It is a composed painting, my thinking that a picket fence as a backdrop would set the tone.  It started out as a pink and blue bike with some foliage in the background that I never really liked. So I decided on a yellow bike and continued to work the background trees as live oaks. Been working on this painting off and on for a couple of months now and making ongoing changes. This is kind of an unusual approach for me as I generally finish a painting I start (alla prima) with a few slight adjustments the next day when viewed with a fresh eye.

Marsh Magic

Looking forward to exhibiting at the upcoming Telfair Museum Art Fair Nov. 12-13, Savannah, GA. Public invited. It will be a great show to visit. A great mix of all kinds of wonderful works of art.

I was inspired by the beautiful coastal marshes in the region when I visited last November. I wanted to paint that inspiration. This painting is oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 36x36.

Southern Crepes

It seems everywhere I look there are crepe myrtles in bloom. We have had much hot weather and several thunderstorms of late and I suppose that has brought about even more blooms than usual. I wanted to try to capture the essence of these plants and came up with this off center composition.

This is painted on a 28x22 canvas wrap.

Sunday Stroll in Paris

Beautiful architecture, narrow streets, quaint shops, the aroma of age. This is Paris. I tried to capture a piece of that in this palette knife painting. How fun.
Oil on 14x11 panel.

Pear/Apple on Abstract Background

It seems I am always thinking about a new way to present a familiar subject. I had some abstract designs that I had done a while back and decided to make them "representative" by imposing a familiar subject, the pear and apple. I haven't seen this done and thought it would make an interesting approach.
Something different for the kitchen. Each is 10x10.

A Good Day to Wear Red

This street scene was fun to paint, capturing reflections on a misty day. This scene was one where, as a painter, you must remind yourself that you are not painting buildings, cars, and figures, but rather shapes and values. There is a lot going on in the scene but I think the strong focal point makes all the supporting elements believable. Actually I could have simplified those elements even more.
Painting is 10x8 on mounted canvas.

Arrangement in White

Sorry to have been away from my blog for many days. I have been busy painting for shows and considering new approaches to painting. I really feel like you can get in a rut by following the same procedures that you get comfortable with, even approaches that generally produce satisfactory results. When you have deadlines it is even more difficult to take the time to experiment in an effort to take your work to a new level. Anyway, that's where my thinking has been.
This floral still life was fun to do because of a free approach using some abstract elements and letting some of the paint run and drip. A very limited color palette and a strong light/dark design produced a bit of drama. It is 40x30.

Coffee with Cream & Sugar

I do a lot of paintings related to food and wine, mainly the chefs at work or a sidewalk cafe venue. Then I thought about the food itself. I don't do very many still lifes but I thought it would be fun to do some with a little twist. So I dug around and came up with props for this one. Not really trying to do a super detailed painting but just an interesting composition.  I really had fun doing something different, at least different for me.
So the next time you are having artist's block, go to the pantry and see what you can come up with. This one is 15x12 oil on gallery wrap canvas.

A Cool Morning Walk

In this painting I am experimenting with more random and sometimes unexpected color in a landscape. I like the way it adds energy to an otherwise plain scene. The figures give a place to bring your attention. I like the feeling of it.