Thresher : 2025-03

Thresher

28 March 2025

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches (40.6 x 50.8)

FOR SALE

I found an unused black canvas behind a cabinet so I thought I'd try an abstract. As mentioned before, planning an abstract doesn't always pan out for me. It seems best if my abstracts just happen. This was planned to be abstract and I think it turned out well. I like the contrast a black canvas offers, but I didn't really exploit it as much as I could have. At least that's my summary.

Here's a gif showing some of the stages. The very first version (not in the gif) was the orange shape and white line. I liked that version but thought it was a bit too sparse.

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Cessna Power : 2025-03

Flying is Great. Cessnas are great. KC let me fly in the left seat...that'd been awhile.

Flying under the clouds is great - one of my favorite times.

Had to take this shot with that sky and just having flown Cessnas.

Thank God for so many things.

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Moonbath : 2025-03

Moonbath

24 March 2025

Acrylic on hardboard

23 x 28 in (58.4 x 71.1 cm)

FOR SALE

I planned on painting something abstract - and I should stop right there. I'm sure 'planning' abstract works for many people, and probably works well. I tend to have better luck (i.e., be happier with my results) when I don't plan an abstract. Rather they emerge from tangents and/or accidents. Maybe someday I'll have the ability to start an abstract with the intent of making an abstract and actually like the result. Moonbath is a tale of the current situation. You can see what I started with below. I wanted to make the sky even darker to emphasize the bather but I made myself stop. First, the emphasis was there and second (and more importantly for me) to avoid over painting.

Here are some earlier stages. I was getting frustrated with the 'plan' (upper left) and the rather large swaths of gold reflect that frustration. I took a pause and looked at the image differently. I saw and entertained painting a person reclining. Kind of boring if there's nothing accompanying him.

Instead, I turned one of the 'eyes'  into the moon/sun, and the

cliff' and bather were essentially already in place. 

The hardboard for this painting (whatever it might have become) was destined for this frame.

It originally held a mirror and now it holds Moonbath. I think they match perfectly.

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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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