Category Archives: abstract

1st Mobile of 2018

It’s been nearly a year since I’ve posted anything. Lots going on to say the least. But for mostly recreational purposes, I’m starting up with some art projects; mobiles now, possibly some painting to come.  This mobile is around 25 inches long when stretched out and about 15 inches tall. The “petals” are wood that I jigsawed and sanded in my basement workshop. Bright colors to brighten up a room and one’s mood.

Available for purchase here

Does the Problem Solve Itself?

This is one of a series of ink paintings I am posting. This one is a bit more angular or geometric than some of the others. Still, there are places where lines and shapes fade. There is the sense that it poses some sort of geometric relationship or problem.

In naming these ink pieces, I spend some quiet time with them to see what ideas or feelings they evoke and then try to find the appropriate words. This is an activity that anyone could go through engaging with this work and so the title I have chosen is my title. You are invited to choose your own.

Talking about the series of ink paintings I am currently working on and sharing, these works show the interplay between paper, ink, and water. I love how straight lines and geometric forms dissolve into more undefined shapes. When I do ink works like this one, I might start with a general idea about what I’m after, but once the process starts, there usually is very little control. As the three elements (ink, paper, water) interact, I find that each mark has to respond to what is playing out before me on the paper. I seek to create interesting contrasts and compositions. That works best when I trust my intuition and let go of any sense of control. In some ways, each painting paints itself.

This painting is 9 x 12 inches on 110 lb. mixed media paper. I ship in a sturdy cardboard tube so you can choose the frame itself, but if you would like me to frame it, let me know and I will try to work it out with you.

Available here for $50.

Does the Problem Solve Itself?

 

Shadows and Portents

This painting is the first in a series of ink works I have done recently and will be posting in coming days and weeks. These works will all show the interplay between the paper, ink, and water. I love how straight lines and geometric forms dissolve into more undefined shapes. When I do ink works like this one, I might start with a general idea about what I’m after, but once the process starts, there usually is very little control. As the three elements (ink, paper, water) interact, I find that each mark has to respond to what is playing out before me on the paper. I seek to create interesting contrasts and compositions, but the process works best when I trust my intuition and let go of any sense of control. In some ways, the painting paints itself.

Available at Etsy.

Metropole

This is another of my urban patterns series as it evokes an urban landscape. As with many of my paintings, this one is composed of multiple layers, which can easily be seen. The build-up of paint also created an interesting texture. I was quite please with how this came out on many levels. The colors are not as saturated as in some of my paintings, but they work well together and also form a nice value contrast. This painting was created mostly with a palette knife and is 12 by 12 inches on canvas. It can be hung as is or framed.

$150 at my shop.

Metropole
Metropole

Inner Landscape

I spent a lot of time on this painting, so I don’t recall all of the steps. It was very much a “paint as you go” process. I know that I started with some gesso or molding paste that I used to create a textured surface. Then I started painting small sections and tried to be mindful about how well the colors and non-linear shapes related to each other. Many of the layers of paint are very thin, lower layers show through.

9 x 12 inches; at my shop for $110.

Inner Landscape
Inner Landscape

City on the Edge of Dawn

This painting is very much in line with the “urban patterns” series of paintings I have been doing lately. I chose the title because that is what came to me after I finished the first and primary painting session. This painting is a somewhat less complex than many of those others; intentionally so. I think I sometimes pack too much into a single piece. This one is also bigger than many of the others.

18 x 24 inches; acrylic on canvas

Available here.

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Sometimes a Disturbance

As with most of my paintings, this one has multiple layers, where colors blend between layers and within the same layer. I did not have much of a defined starting point, just an idea about shapes and colors. As I continued, the process took on a life of its own and I was putting down paint in relation to what was already there. Sometimes the result is unsatisfactory, but I am happy with how this one turned out. Let me know what you think.

This is another small one at 9 x 12 inches. Available at my shop.

Sometimes a Disturbance
Sometimes a Disturbance

Cascade

I sometimes like to paint fast and loose. This is one of those paintings. I put down a base layer, then a light blue I mixed on top of it, but allowing the base to show through a bit. Finally, orange and dark blue with some blending. I think what is so satisfying about painting this way is that there is minimal thinking involved. Yes, I definitely think about where I’m putting down paint in terms of composition as well as colors, but with paintings like this, I am able to express something directly without planning it. What I am expressing is hard to describe and perhaps shouldn’t be described. So, I’m just letting this painting speak for itself directly to the viewer.

9 x 12 inches. Acrylic on canvas.

Original available for $110 here.

Cascade
Cascade

City Lights

This 12 by 12 inch acrylic painting is part of my urban series as it suggests an urban vista made up of buildings. The bright colors evoke “city lights” at night even though the background is very light. As with many other of my paintings, it is an example of my style that uses multiple layers–many semi-transparent–to create a certain look. I really like to see how layers combine and overlap with each other creating a range of colors and textures. This painting was created mostly using a palette knife and paint scrapers. That’s how the straight edges were created as well as some of the textures and color blending.

Available now for $150 here.

Let me know what you think or if you have any questions. Thanks for taking a look.

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