60 Seconds

Funny story...I was sitting at my mother's table discussing a massive John Marin collection of paintings that I had just seen at the Art Institute of Chicago during a teaching conference.  I was blow away by the zen master quality of his work.  To gain a pre-fixed mental picture of an image, then gloriously and elegantly splash it across a page or canvas in less time than it took to study it....hmm.  I tried it out right then and there. It was a huge lesson.

Earth Fields

There is no such thing as boredom. I try to have a watercolor set and paper with me at all times, and a clear archival black ink pen, using the logic that such materials will allow me to paint or draw quickly if I feel the need. This watercolor is tiny, the size of a large postcard. I love this piece because it is simple but reminds me of sunsets, raindrops, fog and mountains--all things that I enjoy. 

Curtain

This is an example of a piece that turned out nothing like it was intended, but is in fact much better than the original idea. The title of this piece is Solid in Three.  The original concept centered around two layers revealing a third, like a curtain being pulled apart.  Halfway through however, the painting conveyed nothing of the sentiment intended so I added the banding effect.  I wanted to imply the parting of the layers, or "pulling" of the curtain rather than a realistic rendition of such.  The end result is in the eye of the beholder, but the intention is of separation, of a solid into three, the streaming and layering of each upon each other.

Fields II

For posterity I am posting this.  Title: Fields II.  It continues in the study of a limited palette. It is a stormy piece.

Acrylic Quilt

This was an interesting experiment.  Title: Fields I.  I wanted to turn the painting into patchwork.  An imprecise quilt based on a limited group of colors.  I wondered what could be done with both layering and blending on the canvas.  I am pleased with the result but the colors are much more muted than I am used to.

Four Fields

Title: Primary Fields. Second piece based on an idea I saw at a museum.  I wanted to understand the layering effect, and how each 'cut' or paint pull impacts both the emotion and aesthetic of a painting.  Each quadrant is meant to reflect alternative views.

Debussy

Claude Debussy: Prelude a L'apres-midi d'un Faune.  Title: Primary.  This is my favorite work of the music series.  I have not posted in a while and wanted to put this one out there.