bug

acrylic  24" x 30" on canvas

It took another child and a few more years for me to get ready to try the larger format pop art style again. I knew shortly after she was born that I would do another one of these for her. So, I waited until she was about the same age that "moo" was when I did her painting. Even after that time arrived I was reluctant to make another attempt. With the time that passed between these two paintings, I was not sure that I would remember how I arrived at the look that would still define who it was but still be the correct style. Again, there were several iterations, however, this painting seemed easier. I was no longer having the same difficulty with the color shift or in getting the tones I was looking for. Actually, the real challenge was in choosing the correct background that would work with the different skin and hair color. I ended up painting five small sketches of various combinations before the choice was made. This painting ( finished 9/27/09 ) completes my own internal promise: two girls - two paintings, both done in the same style and at the same point in their lives. Perhaps I will add more paintings to this series at different phases as they continue to grow.

moo

acrylic  24" x 30"  on canvas

Finished on October 15, 2003, this was a painting of my oldest daughter done in a pop art sort of style. The goal was to keep only the shapes that would identify the face as hers. It took many iterations of sketches to get the look I wanted and still retain the cartoonish appearance. In addition,this was the first larger painting I had ever attempted using acrylic. There was a definate learning curve with the color shift that happens as acrylics dry. I was relieved to have this one finished at the time. It seemed to be more work than I thought it would be when I started. I was and am still happy with the results.

Early Morning

Watercolor 12" x 16" on Arches 140lb cold press - November 1996

This was my first attempt to do an entire painting using only two colors. I limited the selection to french ultramarine and burnt sienna ( both from Winsor & Newton ) - then I cheated and added a small amount of cobalt violet in the background in the horizen line area. I guess I just couldn't help myself. I was, however, happy with the cooler look in the background. It makes all rest seem even warmer which is what I was after.

This painting was taken from a photo I took just at daybreak on an early summer morning. There was a light fog in the air that seemed to hide all color. I wanted to capture that feel in a painting. I was reasonably happy with the result at the time.

Reflections - Cade's Cove

Watercolor 12" x 16"  on Arches 140lb cold press - February, 1997

"Reflections" was based on a photo I took while visiting Cade's Cove in Tennessee. I had recently finished reading "Andrew Wyeth: A Secret Life". This biography inspired me to complete quite a few paintings and this was one of them. I remember thinking about the time that he had spent around Christina Olson's house trying to capture effects of light through a window or door. I waited until the end of the painting to put in the details inside the window and reflections of the tree branches. This to me was the key part of the whole composition.