EDGE OF EDEN

I plucked this beautiful sprig of leaves from a bush in my backyard. I wish I could tell you the name of the plant. However, when inspiration strikes I am only concerned with making art. From a botany point of view, I only know it’s hearty enough to withstand winter nights in Sedona.

I brought the sprig into my studio and made a high resolution scan. Very nice. From there I adjusted saturation and contrast, then selectively embellished the image with drips and drabs of color. I made a digital collage for the background, parts of which include a rusted metal plate for texture.

The detail is superb. It’s nice to get back to nature every once in a while. Art, as they say, is all around us.

As shown —
Finished size: 46.3″ x 39.0″
Print on Somerset Velvet Fine Art: 32.0″ x 24.0″
Frame: 3 3/8 in. Black/Gold Scoop
Top Mat: Matte White, Width: Top 3.5″, Bottom 4.25″, Sides 3.5″
Bottom Mat: Matte White
Glazing: Non-glare Acrylic
Normally ships in 6-8 business days

EDGE OF EDEN is available for purchase (in a variety of sizes and substrates) as of this moment. You may contact me directly to answer questions or assist you with your order, or click here to order now.

Sedona Valentine (1 and 2)

I must be in my RED period; I couldn’t get enough red when working on these two ethereal pieces. That, and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

For all you lovers.

Hmmm. Is framed art more impressive than a card? Oh my yes!

It’s fun to be up to your elbows in the art, isn’t it? Once I’m past the conceptual stages and it feels like things are going to work out, it’s exciting to push and pull the boundaries, work on detail and play with color. That I was able to produce two pieces from this concept is double-good.

Once again, the marvelous detail achievable with fractals (shown above) astounds me. It is beauty within beauty; I never tire of the infinite permutations. The texture, which is generally lost at web sizes, is tasty at close range.

Sedona Valentine 1, and,
Sedona Valentine 2, as shown —
Finished size (each): 29.5″ x 44.3″
Print on Somerset Velvet Fine Art: 18.0″ x 32.0″
Frames: Metropolitan Black with Gold, 2″ width
Top Mat: Fairfield White, Width: Top 3.5″, Bottom 4.25″, Sides 3.5″
Bottom Mat: Digital White
Glazing: Non-glare Acrylic

Both VALENTINE pieces are available for purchase now. You may contact me directly to answer questions or assist you with your order, or click here to order now.

Hey Sailor! You’re Not Lost Again, Are You?

Artists are a lost bunch. All of us. We’re always pushing the envelope, burning the midnight oil, biting off more than we can chew and forging trails where there aren’t any. I may look like I know exactly what I’m doing, but I can assure you I’m lost half the time. It’s my job, because it’s the quickest way to end up somewhere I’ve never been.

Getting lost takes minimal skill. If you’re curious about things and a bit of an explorer, you’ll get lost. The trick, of course, is in finding your way home again.

How many times have you started an art project — filled with optimism and certainty — and followed your creative muse around this way and that until, about halfway through, you’re in no man’s land with no clear path to the finish line?

A key question to ask is “What am I trying to do?” Reestablish your original vision in your mind or — gut check — admit you were hoping things would become clear as you went along. Then push on. Move confidently into unknown territory and keep your eyes open for familiar sign posts: Emotional content, solid composition, pleasing color, visual hooks, tonal harmony and masterful technique.

You can rarely think your way out of an art dilemma of this nature. Too many options, too much procrastination. Roll up your sleeves and get in there, even if you’re not sure where it’s all heading. Work it. Push it. Find the art.

Illustration courtesy Lindsay Podd used under a Creative Commons license.

THE JUPITER EXPEDITION — A Study in Tonal Harmony

I generally keep my work color-neutral until the final stages, preferring to concentrate on concept, composition, design, and focal point before developing a color palette. This insures that the work has a solid tonal foundation which isn’t lost when color is applied.

Simply stated, tonal harmony is “a pleasing pattern in the balance between light and dark.” Before I introduce my latest work, THE JUPITER EXPEDITION, I’d like to point out a technique you may find useful when evaluating the tones in your own art: Convert to grayscale.

Before you send your paintings, photographs or digital creations into the world, look at them in grayscale. Does the work hold up in a pleasing way, or is color being used to disguise tonal deficiencies? Some art is intended to be low-contrast, but if your work can benefit from balanced tonal separation and tonal harmony, there is no quicker way to identify areas of weakness than with grayscale.

Now, on to the new art! I like lost civilizations, ancient tombs and daring expeditions. But…can those themes — and especially those feelings — be conveyed in abstract works of art? I think so, and with a fair amount of drama and imagination. THE JUPITER EXPEDITION was very exciting to work on, from the first tentative anchor shapes to the tattered edges and bleeding tones, to the final explosion of crimson and gold. For me, it is a remarkably satisfying piece. I hope it is for you, too.

As shown —
Finished size: 46.0″ x 32.8″
Print on Somerset Velvet Fine Art: 32.0″ x 18.0″
Frame: Wide Bronze Scoop, 3.5″ width
Top Mat: Digital White, Width: Top 3.25″, Bottom 4″, Sides 3.25″
Bottom Mat: Crimson
Glazing: Non-glare Acrylic

THE JUPITER EXPEDITION is available for purchase (in a variety of sizes and substrates) as of this moment. You may contact me directly to answer questions or assist you with your order, or click here to order now.

What’s In A Name?

Titles are not just a way to catalog art, but an important signpost which connects artists to their audience. Thoughtful naming allows/suggests a path for viewers to more fully experience the art’s meaning and it’s overall effect. For me, naming a new piece of art can sometimes take longer than creating it in the first place. That’s how important names are.

Certainly, there is the other side of the coin. Over the years I’ve had discussions with artists who refuse to name their work beyond “Untitled”. They say “I don’t want to influence what the viewer sees in them.” I understand their logic, especially with regard to abstract pieces.

However, I’m not willing to divorce myself from my work to that degree. Not anymore, anyway. Naming the art gives that art it’s soul. Now it’s ready; now it’s complete. And there’s no getting around it — the title gives my patrons and viewers an important connection to me, the artist. It is additional insight into my mood, my process, my emotions and my moment.

I have often thought that a piece’s title should pop into my head when I’m doing the work, or at least during the last hours of completion. But no. Whichever part of my brain is responsible for naming things is completely shut off when I’m creating art.

That turns out to be a good thing. Once finished with the visual, I can then look at the work with a slightly different set of eyes — less creative art lust and more contemplative afterglow. Ha! Perhaps at times I seek to balance an over-zealous image by giving it a civilized, respectable name. Or maybe not. I am just as likely to hint at a wild streak which is not readily apparent.

Image courtesy chaymation, used under a Creative Commons license.