This painting of Lola and her leash (her only leash, 17 1/2 years strong) was done alla prima, and things were going swimmingly until I noticed all these vertical scratch-like marks all over the panel. To my shagrin, the thing had delaminated on me, the second time this has happened. WTF! Arghhh! I signed it anyway. I may do a bit of detail work yet on it, but overall, I'm happy with it. I've chosen to regard those vertical marks as part of its charm.
This is a portrait of Chloe Misseldine, a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. I was drawn in by the dramatic lighting of her tutu, plus the backlit areas of her upper body, and also the tired posture perhaps revealing the aftermath of strenuous dancing.
A palette knife landscape study of clouds. It's been a hard week, having lost my fur baby of 17+ years a week ago last Friday. She was my constant companion for nearly all of that time. I've been grieving ever since. Forced myself to work in the studio for a wee bit yesterday, when I did this study, and was able to work longer in there today on a new painting.
This is a visual depiction of how I feel about the result of our preposterous election here in the U.S. Over the next few years, nothing good is going to happen, no progress is going to be made, and no one is going anywhere, aside from the super rich with their oblivious adventurism, as they remain blissfully ignorant of the part they play in our country's downfall.
I've done a number of female portraits featuring little birds. Unlike the previous paintings which were all done on canvasboard, this one was done on a cradled panel. It is my first attempt to elevate this subject matter. Hopefully, more to come.
Here's another little abstracted floral painting done with a palette knife. I like doing these freeform compositions in between more planned ones. It loosens me up and sometimes gives me ideas.
This industrial urban scene intrigued me for its colors and overall composition.
Just a little palette knife landscape study in between larger paintings that are conuming my attention lately.
Here's another in my series of floral abstract studies done with a palette knife. This one recalls for me a memory of seeing bougainvillea against a white stucco garden wall.
Just a quick little palette knife landscape study. I took about an hour to bang this out, most of the time talking on the phone while painting, which isn't always a bad thing.
This is the sixth quick-sketch palette knife portrait painting I've done pairing women with updo hairstyles and indeterminate little birds. I've tried to set a time limit of 2 hours to complete them, but a few went over that limit. I got halfway through this one then had to abandon it for days, which made it hard to complete the way I wanted to, working wet on wet.
Only had about an hour today to myself, so I snuck over to the studio and pushed some paint around.
Adding another to this series of abstract studies. I see a pattern emerging. These are good little exercises for me during times like this where I have so little time to get stuck into art-making. I find it just too frustrating to start a larger piece and then have to abandon it for days at a time. Much more satisfying to do something I can stick with from start to finish, or almost finish.
Yet another abstract here. I'm painting and posting these little pieces while I tend to my dog's moment-to-moment needs as she enters the final phase of her life, which swallows up my time. These freeform pieces are informative to me, though, as they follow a subconscious pattern. And it's fun to just play with color with no thought given to outcome.
This little freeform ditty was inspired by admiring a neighbor's garden this morning that contained multiple stalks of gorgeous Mexican sunflowers.
A flower painting which looks like the end of summer to me. I'm already mourning the imminent loss.
Another to add to my series of floral abstracts using palette knife and other tools but no brushes.
Yet another in a series of female portraits paired with little birds. Again, I went over my time limit of 2 hours with this one, which clocked in at 2.5 hours. These portraits are mostly done with a palette knife, eliminating the possibility of refined detail work.
I started with the idea of painting a deconstructed American flag, and this is what I ended up with.
Another floral abstract, this one pays homage to one of my favorite flowers, the Mexican evening primrose, that grows like wild in my garden.
This is another portrait in the series done mostly with a palette knife. I broke my own rule with this one of keeping to 2 hours tops to do it. Took me close to 3 hours.
In the meantime, here's another quickie palette knife imaginary landscape ditty.
This abstract piece was a release for me from the constraints of portrait painting. Now I can go do another portait. Ah!
I quite like this simple painting of a little pink fish. I can get lost in it.
Such a big name for such a little bird! An exotic, beautiful bird with irridescent flashes of ultramarine blue, purple, plum, crimson, and magenta.
Here's another experimental floral abstract piece using a palette knife and wax medium to help create more textural effects.
This is a small narrative painting I decided to do primarily with a palette knife. Certain strokes on the figures, however, were done with a brush. Not to get too fussy, I spent only a couple hours on it.
This is another head study done in under 2 hours. It has its merits.
A palette knife painting using wax medium but no hot air. It seems whenever I reach for the gun, it's not there, so I proceed forth without.
Continuing with the floral theme here, I used a bit of wax medium and hot air in one or two spots.
This is the first of an experimental abstract series I'm doing to refamiliarize myself with tools and techniques I first learned in 2014 but dropped the ball on for reasons I cannot fathom. So, I'm going back to the drawing board here. More to come...
I set myself a task with this head study of keeping it loose, not getting fussy, keeping it under 2 hours to bash in, and using wax medium . I didn't go the full monty with the wax medium; that is, I didn't use the hot air gun for this one like I thought I might. I plan to do more of these, though, so I'm hoping I'll get more daring as I go. I'm not displeased with this one, for what it's worth. Might do it again larger as part of my bird girl series.
This one slipped through the cracks, I'm afraid. I painted it in 2013 and somehow failed to post it all these years, but to me it represents a direction I'd like to go in as a painter. I dropped the ball at that time, but I need to pick it up again and carry on from there. I'll carry on with my current style, too, but want to be throwing in experimental pieces as much as possible, given the time.
This painting is about 75% done, but I'm posting it because who knows when I'll be able to finish it. It won't be next week, that's for sure. Update 7.10.2024: I've swapped in the more-or-less finished painting.
Here's another bird portrait to add to the mix, mostly done with a palette knife like the last one. I'm trying not to take more than a couple hours to do these studies. The goal is to keep it simple and not labor over them or get fussy.
