Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010

White out! So much snow that I was housebound today. So I'll post a photo of a 9 x 12" painting that is currently in process.

Last Tuesday I struggled with that thing mightily, as if it would kill me if it wasn't subdued... It was really one of the most difficult days of painting I've ever experienced; so much paint went on, came off, went back on differently, et al.

It looks absolutely NOTHING like it did when it was begun about two weeks ago but now it seems to be heading in a good direction. The colors are weird but I want this to emerge as it wishes to emerge. Who'd think that a tiny painting could be so tough?

Friday, Dec. 10, 2010

Here are two recent paintings. The relative scale is WAY off as it appears here. The darker painting is actually much smaller in size (click on it to see the larger image). It was based on a small sketch that consisted of 6 oblong shapes. It's always fascinating to allow the paintings to evolve as they wish, because this looks nothing like the original sketch.

The blue painting is a diptych that was just recently completed. I especially like the "antler crown" object, as well as the dripping dots below it. It was roughly based on a dream from two years ago that still has resonance today. It's an organic tornado/crown/antler something with a peaceful sky blue background.

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010

It was an honor to have Dick Brewer stop by the studio today. I've know him for a long time - since the days of the Barry Richard Gallery in the late 70's! His work on plexiglass is astounding and totally unique; no one else is doing work like his.

So we hung out and chatted. His ideas and insights are invaluable. I'm not going to get into the specifics of what we discussed but, again, I was honored to have the benefit of his experience.

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010

These photos were taken on Monday, Nov. 29. Kind of a weird figurative work, eh (photo #2)? I don't know where that is coming from. A lot of yellows, pinks & oranges! A Saint Stephen theme, except that this guy is being shot by a huge flowery heart object. You could say it's an self-portrait abstraction if you wanted to do that. It is still "in process" though; I don't know exactly where it's going. I'm trying to avoid overworking it and yet it needs SOMETHING. The figure got darkened today.

The vertical light blue diptych (photo #3) is finished now. It's a big tornado-y form with an antler crown of sorts. It kind of relates to a mega dream I had almost 2 years ago. Both paintings deal with personal transformation. Because that's what's going on these days, spiritually.

And the little 9 x 12 (photo #1) is just a goofball painting with a lot of detail. It's weird to paint in such brilliant yellow. It has changed quite a bit and is "rounding the bend" towards completion after today... Sometimes it's nice to have a painting that is so small that it can be handled easily & painted differently than the larger works.

Nov. 22, 2010*

Here is a tiny 6" x 9" piece. It's called "Mann Hawks & Yves Klein Are Great Painters." It consists of pistacho nut shells and a beautiful blue acrylic (Flashe, made in France BTW) paint that is similar to Yves Klein Bleu.

I haven't yet been to the YK exhibition at the Walker Art Center but am very excited to see it soon. He has always been one of my heroes. And now I am one of his heroes. How cool is that?

Nov. 22, 2010

Damn; an accident in the studio! A strip of wood to which held 3 triptychs became unattached from the wall sometime over the weekend. One painting was torn/scratched, one was scratched (I'd just varnished it on Thursday), one was smudged and has to be touched up (image at left). It could've been A LOT worse but, still, it is freaky to walk in the door and slowly figure out what has happened. I'd rather be painting, eh?

Nov. 20, 2010

Underwater/Overwater Aspiration

Painted in September 2010? Again, playing with elements of symmetry and organic lifeforms. Life is created and slowly moves to evolve symmetrically; to align itself with greater lifeforms. This painting was greatly inspired by the beautiful matte, blue, acrylic paint. It almost glows.

Nov. 19, 2010

This is a painting done just after the previous one (Nov. 18). Same concept. The challenge of painting something symmetrical, as well as straight horizontal lines. In retrospect, I think of the Chicago painter Roger Brown.

Nov. 18, 2010

This is a painting I did this summer; it was the first of a small series that dealt with hand painted symmetry. Quite a breakthrough. I see bones, flowers, X-rays. It's quite a trip to try to paint freehand symmetrical patterns (not easy for me).

To me. symmetry is a metaphor for self-enlightenment. It's an ideal but not necessarily the reality. We are inherently imbalanced, aren't we? Which IS a form of symmetry.

Studio/Nov. 11, 2010

Here are some recent pictures from the studio. i'm posting these just to give everyone an idea of what I've been up to. Most of what you're viewing is completed work, from as far back as January, 2010. The single painting is current & just about done.

I am dealing with issues such as symmetry vs. asymmetry, birth, life, and non-religious spiritual development. It is more akin to being in a quantum physics laboratory than a painting studio! Somedays I'm exhausted from all the revelations and breakthroughs.

Click on the individual images to see them larger. I'll start posting individual paintings and comment on them at greater length.