Under the Moon

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"

This is the fourth blindfold painting I've done.  There are at least two more, so far...

Eye of the Beholder

 

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"

Here's my third blind painting.  A rather mysterious composition.

In Blindsight

 

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20"

My therapist challenged me recently to try painting blindfolded.  At first, I scoffed at the idea.  Then I tried imagining it.  Then I found the perfect blindfold to use:  the one I brought home from the hospital from having brain surgery.  This is the result of a 45-minute play session.  I used my free hand a lot to feel where the canvas edges were, and lifted the blindfold to load the brush or other implement with paint.  It was a fun and freeing exercise.  I kept the palette brief, using only naphthol red light, turquoise and yellow ochre, plus white.  So, a red, a blue and a yellow.  An interesting experiment.

The Deflecting Pool

 

acrylic on canvas paper, 18" x 12"

Reflecting upon recent events, here's a quick pictorial of my imaginings.  Surely a swamp by any other name...

Young David Hockney

 

acrylic on canvas, 30" x 15"

My painting idol, David Hockney, has died at the age of 88, and so I'm reposting this painting I did in 2015 of him as a young man, in his honor.  It hangs behind my couch and looks out at me wherever I am in the room.  He's been my inspiration for a long time.  RIP, David Hockney!

Old Cherry Blossom Tree

acrylic on canvas, 22" x 28"

A fun project.

Aross the Divide

acrylic on panel, 24" x 24"

With this painting, I was experimenting with placing the figure of the cow in an unfamiliar environment.  I'm wanting to get more abstract in my paintings.  I might go back in for some tweaking of this one later.  Updated 5/2/2026:  I've done a bit of tweaking.

Pete

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

My late partner Roy had a great friend in Pete, who's portrait I've painted in honor of the great friend himself.  I'll be seeing him and his wife Jacqui next month in Cornwall for the first time in a decade.  Can't wait!

Symphony in Orange and Green

 

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"

Another work in progress, I nearly gave up on this one.  It has turned around, though, and I may end up really liking it.

Portrait of Monica

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is a portrait sketch of the Italian actor Monica Belluci.  I've painted her before from this same image, but this one was done fairly quickly, and I liked the green showing through in the lower part of her face and in the upper right of her forehead.

Head Series #2

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Here's the second head done from imagination with the self-imposed time limitation of 30 minutes.

Head Series #1

 

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is a challenge I've set myself to paint a series of imaginary portraits, each in under 30 minutes.  This is the first one.

Torn

 

acrylic on panel, 12" x 12"

A narrative painting about conflicts of interest.

Le Cadeau

acrylic on panel, 24" x 12"

A story of intrigue centered around the entrance to a fictional bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

The Overpass

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is an abstracted landscape sketch, an aerial view of a freeway I did way back in 2020 that I'm pulling out of the archives for possible inclusion in an upcoming exhibit in SF whose theme is Portraits of the City.  I thought it apropos to this theme, and on second viewing, I like it.  Sometimes, painting + time = pleasure.

Note to Self

 

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"

This abstract painting is no more, as I painted over it but took a photo beforehand.  Unfortunately, I failed to step away before lunging in again.  Often that's a mistake, and it was here, because I now see merit in what I had done.  Not that this would have been its final incarnation, but having fresh eyes definitely makes a difference.  Note to self:  if you're not entirely happy with what you've done, always step away before destroying the work.

Deconstructed Portrait

 

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"
SOLD

This abstract piece was a release for me from the constraints of portrait painting.  Now I can go do another portait.  Ah!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

 

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

This narrative painting was rather hastily painted, I'll admit.  The concept was more important to me than the execution, almost done in cartoon fashion.  I don't think a more refined technique would have altered the impact substantially.  I find it funny myself.  In fact, it cracks me up!  

After Ophelia

acrylic on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

The reference for this painting was a thumbnail.  I'm getting lots of practice painting cars lately.  Not sure what's up with that, but there must be smething, right?  This scene is from Wilmington, North Carolina as tropical storm Ophelia was passing through.

Blowin' Off Steam

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"

This is the third and final incarnation of an abstract whose second incarnation was very different from this painting.  I was frustrated when I first arrived in the studio but was determined to make the most of my precious painting day.  I'm happy with how it turned out, although looking back, had I stepped away before barreling ahead and drastically changing the whole thing, I would have stopped there and called it good, and would later have seen its merits.  This is why I take photos of my work at every stage.  There's always something to learn.