Powder Blue

OK, so it isn't really powder blue. It does display a little of the reflected light from paint that I was trying. Unfortunately my sources were limited for a model.

Grainery

Working again with the idea of artist as recorder. Documenting buildings on the farmstead where the studio is.

Ups and Downs

Practicing again with light and the way it changes through different materials.

Government Grainery

I'm working on some ideas for a small series this summer at my studio in ND. I know the composition is simple and amateurish but it bears the idea of artist as recorder; Recording an item in its simplest terms for documentation rather than purely aesthetic purposes.

Cigarette Boxes

Found objects. Working with the light and shadow as well as geometric form.

Bottle on Tablecloth

I know, always use the most typical item for a still life. If, however, the one you happen to have, like this mishapen bottle, what choice is left?

3 1/2 items

A quick sketch playing around with some old ideas. It is fun to watch drawings develop and to happen upon them out of context. That is the case for this one of a few small items in the studio.

The Fog of War

I've spent a lot of time working on paintings from a number of different sources and all related to the war in Iraq. This is a quick sketch from some imagery I found on the web. The original photograph was of three soldiers posed by a destroyed Iraqi tank as a sort of trophy or defeated enemy or something of the kind. The image struck me in a number of ways that I find difficult to put into words; on the one hand here are the victors and our heroes, young Americans bravely serving their tour of duty in a hostile environment. On the other hand one must consider the fact that they are posed in front of what must be the tomb of other soldiers who were, in many ways, doing the same thing only, maybe they weren't as prepared or lucky.

"The Fog of War" is a loose title I've given to the series of works which focus on this subject. Many of those pieces include text found in the newspapers related to the bribery of Randy Cunningham, a decorated Vietnam veteran who sold his favors in congress to a defense contracting firm. In many ways I find it difficult to define the total tragedy of war, or for that matter, even the boundaries of that war. Was the Cunningham incident collateral damage from the war in Vietnam or in Iraq? I think effective arguments can be made for both answers to that question. If this is true, how can we possibly expect to find any real cost to such an action? And if cost is difficult to assess then how can we determine the value of the undertaking regardless of the outcome? One can find more than a little irony in that one thing seems clear: The "fog of war" obscures more than the battle lines.

Winged Peace

The third in the series is complete! Although I don't consider this the strongest in the series, I think it is still quite successful. Again I am trying to keep the image simple and strong. I want the use of space to stand out as the strongest element followed by movement (after reading "peace" the eye is lead back to the beginning by the dove who acts as an arrow). This series is not about technique but I did want some of the charracteristics of the linocut process to show through so I paid close attention to the direction of my cuts and let some ridges remain high enough to print. 

Lasting Hope

The second in the series, well actually it was the first plate cut: "Lasting Hope." Again limited to 50 but printed in gold ink this composition, like I mentioned before, uses positive and negative space, but doesn't lead the eye around quite as well as "Ringing Joy." I do, however, like the contrast between the organic shapes and the geometric. I find myself making different connections across the card... Am I really critiquing a Christmas card?! I suppose so, but then I enjoy composition and thinking about the things I see.

I am not sure it is worth mentioning as so few are made and they'll be gone before long, but you can drop me a line on email if you'ld like some and I have any left. They are $3.50 ea. and 3 for $10.

Ringing Joy

OK, so I'm a little behind on the blogs... I've been busy. I thought I'd drop a note to show some of the smaller things I've been working on. Christmas cards!

I had a moment last weekend to sit down and put together some ideas for some simple cards. I tried, in this series to pair down the imagery into its simplest form while maintaining some compositional complexity. I think I was successful with the subtle play on positive and negative space while staying consistent in my division of space. In all I think this composition is interesting as the eye is lead up through the bells into a focal point at the bottom left of the "J."

All in all the limited series of 50 cards printed well and was actually quite a bit of fun.

The Art Pipe

This is not a pipe. Ok, so maybe in some ways it is, after all, I am not Magritte either. I do, as all artists do at times, borrow from the masters. This drawing borrows from two (three if you count the slight reference to Magritte.) The first of the two is Egon Scheile: His use of line is quite amazing in itself as a way to make an image much more enjoyable and worthy of your time. The second is Paul Calle: He is the much lesser known of the two but still a master at graphite. His work was quite popular in the 60's and 70's. I particularity enjoy the way Calle lets the media show in a rather raw form. The refinement is in the draftsmanship, not in the overworking of the media. By allowing the direct application of the graphite to show, his work has an immediacy or freshness that becomes its greatest strength.

Returning to the subject of this sketch; this is the art pipe. It is a family gift, hand painted, and rather fragile. I use it for small celebrations at the completion of paintings I consider important. A ceremony, of sorts that deserves the strictest adherence.

One ornamental gourd

What happens when color does not play the role you expect it to? Surprising things can happen when you sit down and limit your media. In this case it is India Ink, and Prismacolor; nothing else.

3 Cups Vertical

I enjoy placing emphasis on the vertical in much of my work. I think this sketch reflects this as I repeat the cup from a stencil and rework it in prismacolor. Again, found text enters into the compostion.

Sulky

On my trips to the summer studio I do enjoy reflecting on the past and what it must have been like to raise a family on the plains. The labor must have been considerable and the uncertainty has been passed down through the generations. This is a sulky; basically a small cart that can be attached behind other equipment while it was being pulled by hoarses.

This is a bit more than a sketch, but not by much. It is a small ink and watercolor done on a postcard to my daughter.

Disposable Cup 2

Playing around with the ideas of SARS and bird flu news while working out compositional and technical questions. El Gallo from Loteria or "Mexican Bingo" in the bottom right hand corner was created using a stencil and pastel shavings. I was thinking of Warhol's repetition of imagery in the media.

Disposable Cup 1

The juxtaposition of found text in the newspapers is sometimes surprising and often entertaining. I use coffee cups metaphorically in my work for the mundane, every day routines that we get used to and often overlook or don't think much about.

Coffee Cup 1

The division of space is important to all works of art and it is something I enjoy working with quite a bit in mine. The text is from a Ray Charles song and some personal prose.

Three Coffee Cups

Working with a little mixed media to see how they interelate. Airbrushed watercolor, ink left, prismacolor center, and oil pastel right.

Small Child

Pastel drawing from a photograph of my daughter as a small child. Just playing around with value and arbitrary color.