Old Poppies : 2025-03

Old Poppies

19 March 2025

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 in (91.4 x 121.9 cm)

This was my third entry in a call for art entitled Omission. You can read more about the call at my Burden post. I submitted this with Burden and Equal Labor. I had a conflict with another show and I didn't want to be caught with two places accepting the same piece - unlikely, but potentially awkward. Those in conflict were Skyward and Lazing. The negative space (or omission) in Old Poppies was the sky. The original plan was just the poppy pods and some blades of grass which you can see below. However, I thought just a little color would be a nice addition.

FOR SALE

I didn't take many pictures during the process - these are the two.

I was originally going to use the first version. It certainly emphasized empty space.

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Slopes - Friends - Food : 2025-03

Met friends that I hadn't seen in years to do some sloshing on Breckenridge.

It was Saint Patrick's day so everyone was in a Larry Bird jersey.

It was a great idea, but I couldn't even get one over my arms.

It was a blast and a great reunion!

A couple amazing meals before and after the ski event.  KC is Amazing.

Took this pic on a recent trip, KPHL - KDEN.

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Doll Top : 2025-03

Doll Top

14 March 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

15.25 x 54.75 in (38.7 x 139.1 cm)

I had this hardboard which is a repurposed top of a discarded doll house - hence Doll Top. It's a great surface and very light. It's the opposing end of Flower House. It sat for months waiting to be finished. There was a call for art from a local gallery called "a muse". I've been told the sky is my muse, and I can't really argue that. It is the most dynamic and diverse canvas beyond anything we could create. I wanted to paint some spirited clouds in attempt to honor the muse. The original idea (almost a year ago) was to put some poppy pods at the end of their cycle in the foreground. I might still add those, but funny enough, those showed up in Old Poppies which was painted after this. They would be similar if added to Doll Top.

FOR SALE

The gif showing some of the stages. If you pay attentions to the dates,

it took me 314 days to finish it.

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Lazing : 2025-03

Lazing

02 March 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

19.5 x 26 in (49.5 x 66.0 cm)

FOR SALE

I was making pieces for a call-for-art called "Omission". Negative space in a work of art is the space around and between the focus of the piece. The call was to create works that celebrate the value and import of negative space. I plan(ned) to submit it with Burden, Skyward and/or Equal Labor. I think I missed the mark a bit. I created the woman lazing as negative space versus more negative around her. That might also be the case for Burden. I think Skyward will be the closest fit to the objective.

Gif showing some progress - about a week had elapsed.

Lazing was sized to fit this frame.

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Sprint : 2025-03

Sprint

02 March 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

8.5 x 16.5 in (21.6 x 41.9 cm)

FOR SALE

This is an attempt to create something along the same idea as Blue Dance. It's what I call random abstract vs subject abstract. I titled it Sprint as that is the feeling it evoked after it was created. Truth be told, there are probably a couple of strokes that were what I'd call "over painted". It's the temptation to start turning the random abstract into a 'thing', or subject abstract. I'll keep working on both, and working on not over-painting.

Sprint in its simple, black frame.

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Picturesque Days and Meals : 2025-02

We had a beautiful day to fly so that's what we did. Kimberly's working on another rating so we flew for fun and some training. It was clear, smooth and just the right temperature. Regardless of the weather, it can be tricky deciding who sits in the front.

Just one of those days.

Almost as beautiful as the weather are the meals Kimberly shares with me. She's amazing.

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Midas : 2025-02

Midas

23 February 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

9 x 20 in (22.9 x 50.8 cm)

FOR SALE

I had Blue Dance hanging in a gallery and apparently a few people had asked about it and queried if I had more, similar works. That was an interesting question to me because I intended to make more pieces of a similar look. However, when the question came in, I didn't have any ready so I painted Periwinkle and Midas. Arguably, they are of a similar nature, but they're more defined than Blue Dance. I think I will continue to work on pieces closer aligned to Blue Dance.

Midas in its hand-made custom frame.

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Periwinkle : 2025-02

Periwinkle

22 February 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

8 x 16 in (20.3 x 40.6 cm)

FOR SALE

I had Blue Dance hanging in a gallery and apparently a few people had asked about it and queried if I had more, similar works. That was an interesting question to me because I intended to make more pieces of a similar look. However, when the question came in, I didn't have any ready so I painted Periwinkle and Midas. Arguably, they are of a similar nature, but they're more defined than Blue Dance. I think I will continue to work on pieces closer aligned to Blue Dance.

FOR SALE

Periwinkle is on a gallery frame (box), so no frame was added.

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Seaside : 2025-02

Seaside

17 February 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

15 x 20 in (38.1 x 50.8 cm)

FOR SALE

I do my best to try new things/methods as I glean them from other works. This painting was intended to be completely abstract and the new method (for me) was to use a squeegee. I think I saw a tool for painting spreading that was basically an over-priced squeegee. I wanted to try it. It actually picked up the paint very nicely (and evenly) but it pulled the paint more in a parabolic shape then an even rectangle. The soil or foreground was all squeegee but it was with several passes and color layers. I liked it but the vision of an abstract painting started to fade. I added the clouds and it sat for a few hours as just the red earth and clouds - I liked it but it was a bit sparse.

I love how Cyprus trees contrast against the sky/landscape and thought they might be a good addition. After painting some in the scene still seemed a little void of meaning. In an effort to "let go of control", I gave the trees a more dynamic bend and stronger contrast. Having done that, I figured I might as well practice the human form so I added the rider heading to the seaside. I painted the horse and rider without reference which was a good exercise for me.

I only took two pics along the way. I try to take more but just get caught up in the flow.

You can see that the trees changed to bring more motion into the scene.

I was going to add more trees to the row but added the rider instead.

Seaside in an antique frame - similar to the one holding Airmen.

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