Dragonmans and Madison : 2024-09

We had been wanting to go to Dragonmans for awhile and finally made it just after the Labor Day weekend. It is one of those places that you have to see to appreciate. We kind of knew that but it quickly becomes clear when you visit. It has a massive collection of war memorabilia.

Near the entrance of Dragonmans. To get there, you pass about 30 danger/no trespassing/warning signs.

Overlooking one of their dozens of vehicles.

If you're in the area and the timing works, go see Dragonmans!

A couple of interesting / eerie gasmasks.

I also made it to Madison WI, thanks to one of my trips. I'd never been there and it was nice.

I had some time to walk around and popped into the capitol building.

A couple more shots of the capitol.

Many cool houses and buildings in the area. This apartment building, the Quisling Terrace, really grabbed my attention. I thought it's lines were perfect.

The hotel, the Edgewater, was very nice and a shot of a rather nice jet.

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Sabre Two : 2024-09

Sabre Two

02 September 2024

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 24 in (50.8 x 60.9 cm)

FOR SALE

I bought a frame (for the frame) which had a pretty firm canvas in it. It was actually a print on vinyl of Shirlene Stewart's Black Mother and Children from the mid century 1900s. I was going to make an 'orange dance' to follow the style of Blue Dance, but something of a Super Sabre started to emerge so I went with that. I wanted it to look a little dated and deco. I'm not sure I wrangled it all in, but thought I better stop so as not to ruin the simplicity. I originally had some green in there depicting some terrain and probably should've kept it in for the sake of the frame.

A gif showing the 2-3 days I worked on Sabre Two.

Back in its frame of origin.

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Last Exit : 2024-08

Last Exit

26 August 2024

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 24 in (45.7 x 60.9 cm)

FOR SALE

This canvas had evolved into a sort of sketch pad and a place to dispose of leftover paint. As I applied the paint, I initially envisioned two concrete walls with a person peering through a gap towards a more appealing world beyond. I pictured the walls extending above the top of the canvas. However, I decided to reveal more of what awaited outside and emphasize that reaching this better place was more challenging than just stepping outside. The freedom seeker is poised at the brink of escape, with the decision being the only barrier.

This is the original canvas...unfortunately, many stages were not photographed.

It probably sat in various forms for almost a year.

Currently, it is unframed.

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Jangmi : 2024-08

Jangmi

24 August 2024

Acrylic on hardboard

9.75 x 24 in (24.8 x 60.9 cm)

FOR SALE

I needed to paint something as I was a bit mired in the Kroger project and work. Good problems to have but I still needed to paint. What to paint can be an issue, so I painted some flowers K recently purchased. The actual vase is pink but almost the same color as the flowers so I changed it up. I had a frame that was sitting around so I painted this to fit. It was an embroidered Bible verse in Korean so I called this Jangmi. It was a good exercise and flowers and glass are always good practice.

This was the original piece in the frame I used.

I can't decide which I like better - with or without the mat. I think they both work.

I packed them together so it remains an option to switch. 

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Rare View II : 2024-08

Rare View II

23 August 2024

Acrylic on hardboard

12.75 x 41.25 in (32.4 x 104.8 cm)

FOR SALE

This was the second sketch for the Kroger Project. I cleaned it up and added some more detail.

This was the original sketch.

As of now, it is unframed.

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Pikes Pride : 2024-08

Pikes Pride

23 August 2024

Acrylic on hardboard

12 x 42 in (30.5 x 106.7 cm)

FOR SALE

This was the first sketch for the Kroger Project. I cleaned it up and added some more detail.

This was the original sketch.

As of now, it is unframed.

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Garden Peak : 2024-08

Garden Peak

13 August 2024

Acrylic on hardboard

15 x 29.75 in (38.1 x 75.6 cm)

FOR SALE

For the Kroger Project, the company requested that I add more elements that represent Colorado Springs. Pikes Peak was a must-have, but I also included Garden of the Gods and the Air Force Academy, as they are quite recognizable. To avoid making the mural too cluttered, I incorporated these elements 'just enough'. Additionally, I added some jets to reflect the significant military presence in the Springs and because they’re pretty awesome.

This was the original piece I used as my canvas. The wood grain is more pronounced than I thought. In other words, the paint didn't cover as much as I had hoped.

A gif showing two days passing. Since this was a request for an updated sketch, I didn't want to sit on it too long. Sometimes the pressure (or less time) seems to work well for me. The first think I added was the black border which was to set the correct proportions (1x3) for the mural. The four sketches (including this one) are in Sketches, Evolved and General.

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Flower House : 2024-07

Flower House

30 July 2024

Acrylic on hardboard

15.3 x 54.8 in (38.9 x 139.2 cm)

This was the largest panel pulled from a discarded dollhouse - hence the name. I really like it's size while still being relatively light. Kimberly wanted a wildflower scene so this was what I came up with. I could have added more flowers, but sometimes there's beauty in simplicity.

A gif showing the progress. It covers about 53 days, which is always amazing in retrospect. I had other things pop up in June and July which really pushed it behind. It was nice to finish. Another nice thing was I had pre-fabbed the frame before painting. So it was patiently waiting to be reattached after the image was complete. It was a pleasant reward for finishing. You can see in the first frame of the gif that the surface is pretty abrased. The hardwood had a coating on it which won't let acrylic adhere very well. It will stick, but you can scratch it off with minimal effort. Therefore, I have to sand them down before painting.

In its frame which was completed before I started to paint.

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Amazing Creations : 2024-07

Kimberly makes the best steaks. She created all this just from her mind.

This little guy was outside the flight school after a night flight.

I look at his eyes and can only marvel at creation.

Gratitude - to say the least.

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