November 10

Yes this is out of order in terms of when the painting was completed. November 11 painting was completed most recently but what happens when I'm working on a painting is sometimes I'm not sure if something is completed or not. So I step away for a day or two or maybe even longer and come back to it with fresh eyes.

In my opinion this painting has gone as far as it's going to go and I'm ready to move on with more painting and more studying.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

November 10, 2013 (18x24)

November 11

Continuing studies of color abstractions.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

November 11, 2013 (18x24)

November 3, Grove of Birch Trees

This started as a grove of birch trees that I didn't like so I morphed it into an abstraction of a grove of birch trees. I used the split complimentary colors of blue - which are yellow-orange and red-orange.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

November 3, 2013 (18x24)

Homage to David W. Mayer

Southwest Art is one of my favorite monthly magazines I purchase to see what other artists are doing. In the September issue there was a small section on Arts at Denver showcasing four artists. David W. Mayer had a writeup on what he is currently doing and one of his paintings, Autumn at Hessie Lake. I liked his work so much it inspired me to do an homage to one of the excellent paintings he finished, Autumn at Hessie Lake. This is my take on this painting.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

Homage to David W. Mayer (18x24)

October 3

I wasn't sure if the painting was finished a week ago but today I decided it was time to consider this painting as close to resolved as I was going to get it. This was a part of the four paintings I started working on in August. It was a simple exploration of the color working with tints, shades and other color combinations with red.

And there's some blue, just for the sake of blue - because I like blue. What guy doesn't like blue?

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

October 3, 2013 (18x24)

September 27, Birch Trees

Renee Magritte (Rene Magritte, Wikipedia) said, "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" (This is not a pipe). My interpretation of this famous (well, famous to artists) line tells me a painting is free to break from mere representation of a thing. You can't hold the pipe in his painting, you can't put tobacco in it and you can't smoke it.

In a painting of birch trees you can't touch the bark, pull a leaf off a branch or smell the scent of the woods. So I break free from the "thingyness" of the subject and begin to concern myself with the challenges of the paint, working through different processes, and develop one of many solutions presented to me.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

September 27, Birch Trees, 2013 (18x24)

September 26

This is a painting I began in August and has seen many changes. I started with two complimentary colors and built upon that, adding other colors in small amounts to the compliment. As the process goes I either feel the colors are working well or I begin to replace one or both compliments with a new set of compliments. My final solution became a study of the tints and shades of two compliments red/green, orange/blue.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

September 26, 2013 (18x24)

Daily Painting: September 8

I should stop calling this daily painting as I am not painting daily at this point. However I am getting more work done this month and am happy. I decided to continue working from oil sketches I did last year and the painting developed into this:

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

September 8, 2013 (18x24)

When I look at this painting I see the influence of Joan Miro (Wikipedia) and Paul Klee (Wikipedia).

Daily Painting: September 4

Last year I did an oil pastel in a sketchbook that I liked so much I decided to do it in acrylic. What I liked so much about this image was it looked more like an actually landscape than most of my paintings. But I would like to take my painting in a direction that merges abstract art with figurative art.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

September 4, 2013 (18x24)

Daily Painting: September 1

I've decided to do a painting a day for the month of September. The paintings will not be named but a dated will be assigned for the day corresponding to when they were created. This first one was finished last night, September 1st. It's a simple exploration of color beginning with compliments: yellow and purple but eventually moved completely away from purple and yellow becomes a minor player against blue and orange.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

September 1, 2013 (18x24)

Even though I have no subject - no preconceived ideas - before I begin painting, when I come near the conclusion I can't help but see some sort of a landscape coming out of the image.

Homage to William De Kooning

While I was working on an homage to Richard Diebenkorn I was having problems expressing the influence of his style on mine. After a few days I gave up and decided to start over with the painting, following another big influence on my art - William De Kooning. The inspiration for this painting is Pink Angels, 1945 by William De Kooning. I also enjoy his Women series although many consider these paintings too masochistic. I, however, am not a masochist, and there is no female form in this image. It is simply a fun excruciating long exploration of colors, shapes, line and movement.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

Homage to William De Kooning (18x24)

More information on William De Kooning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_de_Kooning

Homage to Pablo Picasso

Bucking from my trend of being original versus imitation, Homage to Pablo Picasso looks more like a copy/knock-off from the painting that inspired me Nude Under A Pine Tree, 1959 by Pablo Picasso. However Picasso was well known for using other famous artists paintings for working through his ideas. When asked about the inspiration for this painting Picasso said he was inspired by the work Paul Cezanne was doing in Aix-en-Provence.

Next homage is to Cezanne Aix-en-Provence. Or perhaps I'll do Diebenkorn or Mondrian. Either way I'll get to them all.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

Homage to Pablo Picasso (18x24)

More information on Pablo Picasso. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Picasso

Homage to Chuck Close

A few weeks ago I decided to do an homage series based on artists who had the biggest influence on me and my painting. Although I've done some oil pastel work this is the first acrylic painting homage and I chose to start with Self Portrait, 2000 by Chuck Close. I wasn't attempting to do a self portrait, I was only trying to show you where I've come from artistically. I want my paintings to be more like his - deliberate - and not so accidental. I want them to transform.

Next homage is to Picasso.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

Homage to Chuck Close (18x24)

More information on Chuck Close. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Close

Father's Day 2013: Asparagus Soup

In homage and memorium to my father who died a year ago and two days after Father's Day from an illness. I made a meal handed down to him by his mother (my grandma) and is in my top 3 favorite meals. It's called Asparagus Soup although there is a problem with it. There is no asparagus and it isn't soup. I'm the only one in the family that likes it besides my Dad. Basically it's a thick white sauce mixed in with peas and tuna spread over toast sliced into cubes.

Asparagus Soup

Abstract Series: Spring 2013

After being way-laid by a move, a pinched nerve and a career change (re: from employed, to unemployed, to freelancer) I have gotten very little painting done. I have done a few paintings I like and a few others I plan to paint over.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

Deluge (18x24)

Blue Abstract (18x24)

Landscapes: Early 2013

Moving back into landscapes.

The reason for all the back and forth is sometimes I find I'm stuck for where to go next so I make a complete 180 degree change just so I can get working. I also enjoy exploring color without worrying about what it looks like. I consider this an important part of my self-development (already 3 paintings back into this series. I'll show a teaser).

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

 After the Storm (9x12)

 Birch Trees (9x12)

 Mountains (9x12)

Outcropping (18x24)

Blue Series: Early 2013

My next series I am beginning tonight will be going back to my abstract roots. I am going to explore Liquitex Basic Ultramarine Blue, working other colors into it and seeing what I find. The only other colors I will use in each painting will be Liquitex Basic Titanimum White and Liquitex Heavy Body Mars Black.

Brown colors need to be created using compliments. The minimum number required for the series will be at least six, however only three were good enough to post.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

 Blue (Orange)

 Blue (Red)

 Blue (Yellow)

Landscape Series: Winter 2012

After I completed the Hue Series I switched gears from abstract to realistic imagery. And even though I have a french easel I decided to scour the web for high-res photos to work from. I feel mixed about these results. Typically I work abstractly at first and don't have a preplanned path for the painting to take. I place color on the canvas and step back to see what it is. I never think about nudes, landscapes, still-life's or anecdotes. I see the surface like a child that needs me to guide it in the direction it needs to go to realize whatever it is going to be. And if it just happened to become a nude, landscape, still-life or anecdote then that was what it wanted me to help it be.

All photos are Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

Rapids

 Stone Slabs

 Three Trees

Three Birch Trees

 Paper Birch

Two Birches

Hue Series: Fall 2012

I did a series of abstract paintings in the fall of 2012 focusing on the six primary/secondary colors. I considered these color studies so I worked with student grade level Liquitex Basics on Blick Canvas Pad. I wasn't happy with how the Blick Canvas Pad held up to the acrylic - bowing and warping. So halfway into the series I tried another canvas pad brand - Fredrix Canvas Pad - and was much happier with the results.

These are my favorites out the series.

All photos are 18 x 24 Liquitex Acrylic paint shot with a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.

 Orange

 Purple