PAINTINGS: I mostly make paintings of people. They look like illustrations because I was trained that way. I fill the space, maximizing color and try to tell a story. Most of the images reflect feelings of isolation and the differences between the inner and outer life.
Square Paintings
I love the square format because it seems naturally claustrophobic and a perfect venue for a graphic image. These images are all oil paint on board. I don't treat the board beforehand, so it soaks up the paint and I tend to use the board color as part of the painting. It just forces a specific type of painting from me that canvas does not. I actually find it a little more freeing because there aren't acres of white space.
I love the square format because it seems naturally claustrophobic and a perfect venue for a graphic image. These images are all oil paint on board. I don't treat the board beforehand, so it soaks up the paint and I tend to use the board color as part of the painting. It just forces a specific type of painting from me that canvas does not. I actually find it a little more freeing because there aren't acres of white space.
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"Portraits"
These aren't exactly portraits because these aren't pictures of specific people. They are characters I guess. I was trying to get to an emotional state of mind rather than a representation of a certain person. Working on canvas forces me into a different painting technique than when I work on a board. The layers of paint are built up more carefully because of the white canvas. Winter is a great atmosphere to place figure when communicating isolation. People wandering around are so enmeshed in their digital lives- it's almost a separate life. I was trying to relay that in two these images.
These aren't exactly portraits because these aren't pictures of specific people. They are characters I guess. I was trying to get to an emotional state of mind rather than a representation of a certain person. Working on canvas forces me into a different painting technique than when I work on a board. The layers of paint are built up more carefully because of the white canvas. Winter is a great atmosphere to place figure when communicating isolation. People wandering around are so enmeshed in their digital lives- it's almost a separate life. I was trying to relay that in two these images.
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Other oil paintings
This rectangular image is oil paint on board. It was inspired by folk art and by aboriginal paintings. I was trying to represent sleep and memories that are stored up in your subconscious mind. I liked the blend of a more realistic figure and then the dream world as more graphic.
I used to live in southeastern Pennsylvania where Pennsylvania German folk art is kind of just around everywhere. When I went to college I was really blown away by aboriginal art and the graphic forms that can really dominate the space. I tried to been those two things in here.
I used to live in southeastern Pennsylvania where Pennsylvania German folk art is kind of just around everywhere. When I went to college I was really blown away by aboriginal art and the graphic forms that can really dominate the space. I tried to been those two things in here.
I was playing around with proportion and it seems to have worked out. The blue could be a dress or ocean or something else entirely. This is oil paint on board. it's quite large for me- maybe 4' tall. This was done early in my career. Things from an earlier time look a little more free to me. I overthink things a bit now.
I have a tendency toward odd sizes in canvas and board which is wonderfully freeing until I try to frame things and then you have to get custom frames built. This gets expensive and then customers wonder why a painting costs so much. It's the frame! I love a long painting though. It has such a presence.
I have a tendency toward odd sizes in canvas and board which is wonderfully freeing until I try to frame things and then you have to get custom frames built. This gets expensive and then customers wonder why a painting costs so much. It's the frame! I love a long painting though. It has such a presence.
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This is a square painting, but on canvas.
It's a cone flower that was nearing the end of its life. I loved that the ends of the petals were browning and spreading up to the core. It's quite large- about 3' square. I enjoyed the texture in the cone. The background is intentionally vague. I wanted the focus on the flower itself but I didn't want a stark white background because that would be jarring. |
Nesting dolls
These were a fun side project. It was enjoyable to move away from a flat canvas and try paint in a 3-dimensional space. Also stretching a theme over 5 dolls was a challenge.
These were a fun side project. It was enjoyable to move away from a flat canvas and try paint in a 3-dimensional space. Also stretching a theme over 5 dolls was a challenge.
ELEMENTS
(L-S) Water, Plants, Wind, Fire, Human
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OCEAN
(L-S) Squid, Lobster, Seahorse, Whale, Coral
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WINTER DAY
(L-S) Bundled Outside, Seated With Cocoa, Bathing, In Bed, Moonlight Over the Snow
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