Auntiluna : 2025-10

Auntiluna

13 October 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

24 x 20 inches (60.9 x 50.8 cm)

FOR SALE

I am/was working on some images seen from above the earth. This is a reflection to a scene seen flying into Florida from the north. I took some liberty with the arrangement of clouds and colors as I didn't have a reference photo. I think it's better when I don't have a photo as I can easily get sucked into overpainting and details. It's called Auntiluna as a link back to the image that was in its frame (seen below). The frame came with a great mat and trim - I want to use it in the future.

Auntiluna in its frame with a nice craquelure effect.

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Tenacity : 2025-10

Tenacity

07 October 2025

Acrylic on wood

8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25.4 cm)

FOR SALE

I freed King Sixty from its frame as it was average at best. That left an 8x10 piece of wood which was being used as a backing. I wanted to paint something on it and I wanted to do it quickly. You can see in the gif below, that wasn't the case. It took me about two weeks. I had breaks for travel, but it just wasn't sitting right with me. It was also a perfect piece to try some experimenting.

This gif covers eleven days. I liked the people, then didn't. Liked the prairie detail, then didn't.

I resized the original frame and gave it some custom color.

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Boston : 2025-10

I revisited Boston (also in June 2025 and July 2025) but this time it was in a different hotel. This was pretty close (easy walking distance) to the Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston or ICA. That was quite convenient since I'd been to their Museum of Fine Art. I will say this museum was a bit disappointing, and I say that only because a few of their rooms were closed for new installations. So, that comment is strickly based on my timing. I would also say, to their credit, they reduced the price of entry - they were well aware of the situation. Regardless, it was a cool building and they were very friendly. Here are some things that caught my eye...

L: Joan Semmel, Green Heart, 1971, oil on canvas

R: John Ahearn, Smokey, 1981, acrylic on plaster

I liked the rawness and low detail in Green Heart. It was also painted in a good year. Smokey is one of three busts - with Elliot and Ciba - and had great detail. These were plaster casts made during a workshop in Ahearn's studio with volunteers. The shirt detail on Ciba was amazing.

L: Marlene Dumas, The Messengers, 1992, oil on canvas

R: Portia Zvavahera, Ndirikumabvisa. 2024, Oil based printing ink and oil bar on linen

The Messengers is actually a four-piece work which can be seen if you click the title above. I thought the child was great...the skeletons are good, too, but probably better if you could talk to the artist. The writeup (also by clicking the title) gives pretty good insight to the skeletons. Ndirikumabvisa was one of several large pieces. There were pieces that got my attention in most of them. However, I thought the feathery blanket and the rudimentary body were well done - and were a great contrast in skill / detail.

The obligatory ticket to prove I was there. A painting in a Starbucks that was certainly picture worthy.

The picture on the right was taken elsewhere a couple weeks earlier.

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Second City : 2025-09

Second City

23 September 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

12 x 26 inches (30.5 x 66.0 cm)

FOR SALE

I witnessed an incredible sunrise in a hotel in Chicago - nothing but trees to the sunlit buildings with colors only God could create. I did my best to capture it. The person I was with had a window facing the same direction and even he commented on the glorious daybreak. This was painted on a repurposed piece of wall art - shown below.

The original surface (above left) was wall art with a set of "Family Rules" - in this case for a Perdue family. The surface already had depth (about an 1.25") so I left it in this gallery wrap configuration.

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Lentree : 2025-09

Lentree

20 September 2025

Sumi ink and acrylic on canvas

24 x 36 inches (60.9 x 91.4 cm)

FOR SALE

This was painted simply because I love birds and kingfishers are cool. I also had an empty frame and repurposed canvas to use. I hadn't painted with sumi or India ink for quite some time and thought I'd give it a go on canvas vice paper. It didn't spread, flow or behave quite as I expected. I think the canvas could have been much wetter, but I also didn't want to lose too much control of lines.  I used watered down acrylic to add some color. I like how he turned out.

The painting is "Lentree" because of the canvas I re-stretched and repurposed. I also made a new stretcher since the destined frame was slightly smaller. Above left is the original canvas - on the right is a shadow on the canvas which was an idea I entertained for a moment.

Lentree in its wood and fabric trimmed frame.

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Urn Creek : 2025-09

Urn Creek

14 September 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

27 x 44 inches (68.6 x 111.8 cm)

FOR SALE

I had a tall frame that had been sitting around for over a year and I wanted to paint something that emphasized the sky. I never know how the sky will turn out. I placed the wispy clouds to draw the attention upwards but I like storm clouds, too. This sky has a little of both. I played with the terrain quite a bit and like how the blue tint turned out. I also placed the water (Urn Creek) to 1) practice water and 2) to add a bit more to the foreground.

This gif covers 53 days - which is in my opinion, way too long. The early boarder was to mark off the area if I wanted to use the original mat which can be seen in the image above right. I thought it covered too much of the surface so I discarded that idea.

The frame currently holding Urn Creek.

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Pug Rolls : 2025-09

Pug Rolls

09 September 2025

Acrylic on poly-cotton canvas

18 x 24 inches (45.7 x 60.9 cm)

FOR SALE

I saw some great work in Montana and some of it inspired me to paint some more hay bales. Having been raised in Nebraska, they always strike a chord. They can also make some great contrasts against the Great Plains. I painted this over a wall print which was a gallery wrap. I continued with that concept even though it's not a purposeful continuation of the image. It's more of an extension of the concept, and can be seen below.

A gif of progress: canvas sat for 20 days, worked for two, five-day gap, another two days of work.

A close up of the gallery wrap frame.

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MI-OR-MISC : 2025-09

A trip took me to Grand Rapids (which I hadn't been) and Eugene (which had been a while)

and back home. Here are some pictures of things that caught my eye...

The GRPM (Grand Rapids Public Museum) was near the hotel but so was the Gerald Ford Museum. I didn't have that much time before they closed so I chose the GRPM. Above left is the floor plan you get on entry and an old bank that was kind of scary. I thought it could be a good reference for a future painting.

Above left is a toy that was part of a collection entitled "Toys that Move". None of the collection was moving, but they had a great video of several of them in action. They certainly made toys differently many years ago. Above right is a cool model of a trout. It was "swimming" along with many other fish. Across the hall were several more fish, but they were attacking lures. There were many stuffed animals in the building. It was something of a random collection in the museum, but likely something for everyone.

Left: Mike Pease, Danish Farm, ink/watercolor.

Right: Jon Jay Cruson, The Distant Hills, acrylic on canvas.

We arrived In Oregon with enough time to catch a local market and visit some local galleries. The two I made before closing were the White Lotus Gallery and the Karin Clarke Gallery. The artwork above were at the White Lotus and below from the Karin Clarke. The White Lotus centered on Asian art and framing while the Clarke gallery rotates local artists. The current exhibit was Robert Schlegel : Italian Journey. He had some cool work.

Left: Adam Grosowsky, Jockey #3, oil. (other works).

Right: Robert Schlegel, House with Balcony, acrylic on canvas on board.

Left: a man dancing in the Saturday Market.

Right: one of many markers in the Eugene Japanese American Memorial.

I had no idea there were this many camps.

Left: a disco version of an aircraft flush button.

Center: doing as many crosswords as I do, it was bound to happen!

Right: a cool sunrise and cityscape in Chicago.

Why I love aviation - a few moments before towing in the Pawnee.

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Pounce : 2025-09

Pounce

01 September 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

20 x 24 inches (50.8 x 60.9 cm)

SOLD, 03 October 2025, Private Collection

This was the third creation for the same show as Mousetrap and Crouch. I saw some good art in Montana with some great trees. I had the idea of the cat jumping into some scattering birds and since I needed a setting, I tried trees similar to those I'd seen. I had the cat in a different position - facing directly at the viewer. I like this one much better as it seems to be reaching for whatever it can get.

I didn't take a lot of stage pics, but this covers two days.

The frame holding Pounce, wooden with black and a hint of gold.

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