Amah's Shoreline

Jersey Shore, Mildred Landers (oil on canvas)

Amah's Shoreline (acrylic on wood) 16" x 20"

This is a reproduction of a painting that my grandmother did in the 60's. It is currently hanging above my television and after seeing it every day for months on end I realized I wanted to create an hommage to her and this particular composition is one of the most compelling and in line with my Ideal Destinations series. Mildred Landers' style was impressionistic and painting with her as a small child inspired my career in the arts.

Painting on Wood

Undisturbed (acrylic on wood) 22" x 22"

I've been accumulating frames from a number of sources and then cutting wood to fit them. Instead of my typical unprimed canvas substrate, the wood is yeilding a similar natural, matte finish, but with a lot less consumption of paint. The wood doesn't soak up as much of the paint and the smoother surface makes it a little easier to create the rediculously OCD hard edge lines so characteristic of this series.

Experimenting

After teaching several lessons on Richard Diebenkorn's style it was impossible to resist a little experimentation. Typical of his work is the high horizon and block sections of land. The resulting work incorporates some of the style of my Ideal Destinations series (bright colors and simplified shapes) along with a heavily textured surface.

Modeling paste is scraped across the surface and the acrylic paint is applied in washes, saturated coats and with a palette knife to create additional texture.

None of these pieces are finished and I am still trying different surfaces for the adhesion of the modeling paste. These pieces are all on canvas panel and I want to work on stretched canvas, so I must try the flexible modeling paste.

Four Elements Series

beginnings, 2009

block print over watercolor

Four Elements Series

This is my submission for the theme of "Earth" in the Four Ocean Press Four Elements print exchange.

Terra, 2008

block print over watercolor

Slacking at the Holidays

It's been a good vacation in terms of spending time with loved ones, with the exception of my art. After a few disappointing shows in Florida I had to take a little break from the studio. Inspiration comes and goes, but definitely lurks in the corners during periods of inactivity. There aren't many winter festivals close to home and things around Atlanta don't get rolling again until April. I've got plans for some shows in Florida in the early spring, but it is a bit hard to bring myself to paint with as many paintings building up without selling. Sure, I'm an artist, I'm supposed to live to create art, but I am practical and I'm running out of space to store it (need real studio, not guest bedroom/office/studio). 

Ideas aren't scarce, in fact a different direction is where I'm headed. It will be similar in style to the Ideal Destinations series only looser and more abstract. Vivid color and idealized landscapes will still be the dominant characteristics, but I will be adding texture and a thick application of paint (which I love doing and am missing with this current OCD series).

I'll post some examples in the days to come and make myself do them since I'm letting it be known in cyberspace, wouldn't want to let you down, those of you barely listening (thanks).

Inspired by Florida

Majestic Palm, 2008

(acrylic on unprimed canvas)

36" x 16"

Palm Coastal Resort, 2008

(acrylic on unprimed canvas)

30" x 48"

Midtown Sunrise

Midtown Sunrise, 2008 

(acrylic on unprimed canvas)

22" x 50"

Harvest Midtown

Come on out for a great day of food, wine and art!

http://www.harvestmidtown.com

17th Street Art Fair

Atlantic Station is an ideal location for an art festival. An abundance of restaurants, decent bathrooms, good parking and an extremely pedestrian friendly area should yield a good turnout. Unfortunately, there did not appear to be many more patrons than the regular weekend crowd. I made it through with a few impulse buys, but without serious art shoppers it can be kind of rough. Where were they? Is it an new festival and people don't know about it yet? Were people really staying home because of the fear of not having enough gas to get around (which, BTW, I never waited in one line the entire time)?

Hopefully this weekend at Harvest Midtown will be better.