Dark on Dark

acrylic on panel, 12" x 12"

This painting of a black iris was an exercise in disappearing edges which I found exceedingly hard to photograph without glare.  I wanted to offset the background slightly with a reddish black tinge, so I used a mix of alizarin crimson, ivory black and a touch of diox purple, but I'm not sure it comes across.  

The Fire Within

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This little abstract piece started out light an airy, with lots of white, pale pinks and greens, and somewhere along the way, it took a turn and ended up like this.   Not sure what to make of it, but I kinda like it.

Magnolia Blossom

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Here's another quick little piece.  Because my time is so limited lately, I don't have the luxury of spending time on details or working in layers which require drying time.  When I only have 1-2 hours/day for painting, I'd rather work fast and see how far I get in one session.  Alla prima work is ultimately more satisfying to me, anyway.

Lynch Creek Trees in Spring

acrylic on canvas paper, 9" x 12'

Here's a palette knife painting I whipped up today of the Lynch Creek area in east Petaluma in springtime, with the mustard flowers forming a citron carpet in the field.  To go along with the blustery weather we're having, I tried to move like the wind with my palette knife, and it turned out much to my liking!

Bedroom Window, Casa Azul

oil on panel, 10" x 8"

The narrative painting of my previous post reminded me of Taos, New Mexico, where I was first introduced to the narrative approach to painting, which reminded me of the casita I inhabited for a year.  It was an amazing place with astounding views of Taos Mountain, and it would glow at times with an otherworldly radiance.  I've tried to capture the intensity of that glow in late afternoon.

Le Grand Jeté

oil on panel, 18" x 18"

This narrative painting really put me through my paces.  It proved to be quite a challenge, palette-wise.  I had first determined I wanted a green background but switched my preference after the fact to a cool blue. The process took ages because of the slow drying time of oil paint.  The dancer here is Olga Smirnova, prima ballerina with the Bolshoi, who emigrated to The Netherlands at the outset of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, stating she was "against this war with every fibre of my soul."  I've depicted her here leaping westward over Mt. Elbrus in Russia, toward The Netherlands, her safe haven, where she now dances with the Dutch Royal Ballet.  Also heading west is a sympathetic soul in the white stork, the national bird of Ukraine. The sunflower in her hair has lost a couple petals, but remains vibrant, a testament to the resilience of the Ukrainian people.