Hearts Aflutter

 

oil on panel, 18" x 18"

Here's yet another in my series of abstracted botanicals.  

On the Lookout

 

oil on panel, 18" x 18"

Another palette knife project, working on a rough surface.  I like it more than I thought I would.

My Cup Runneth Over

oil on panel, 16" x 16"

This is the next in my abstracted botanical series of paintings, originally inspired by those garbage can bouquets in New York City created by Lewis Miller.

Mixed Breeds

oil on panel, 16" x 16"

This composition is for me a meditation on springtime.

Spring Flowers in a Green Pot

 

oil on panel, 16" x 16"

I was in the right mood to paint this loose, spontaneous abstracted bouquet.  I get like this every year just before spring hits, and I may have another one in me before too long.  This was fun!

Flower Tower

 

oil on canvas, 36" x 12"

For a change of pace, a painting of stacked hollyhocks.

White Hydrangea

 

oil on panel, 11" x 14"

I rarely do still life paintings, but I came upon an early Matisse still life of flowers in a vase and felt compelled to do one.  

The Unfolding Flower

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

A painting of a rose in closeup as it unfolds its petals.  I've done this before but thought I'd try it again because of its abstract quality.  Plus, I was jonesing to paint in reds, a color I find challenging to get right.  

Black Beauties

 

oil on panel, 12" x 9"

I get the urge to paint flowers every year at this time.  Ah, springtime!

Metal Uke on Green Chair

 

oil on aluminum panel, 16" x 12"

This was actually the first painting I did upon returning to my current studio after a couple years' absence.  It is going to be included as one of the few, if not the sole still life in my first ever exhibit in mid-February in San Francisco.  More details about that to follow.  I sold my beloved uke to the owner of a music store in Taos, New Mexico in 2018.  I hope it found a good home.  I have no idea what fate met that green leather chair, which belonged to my partner Roy.  I loved that chair, so I hope it, too, found a good home.

Bluebeard

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

The first pass at this painting was strictly palette knife, but then I went in with a brush the next day, before the paint had dried, and swiped some areas, to a beautiful effect, I thought.  I love this painting.  I'm amazed at its magic, especially when viewed live.  The black background was a combo of pthalo green and alizarin crimson, always an interesting black, and I think it sets off the intense blue violet of the iris to great effect.

Fragrant

 

oil on panel, 9" x 12"

This was an attempt to meld abstract and realist elements in a still life.  I was working from a bouquet of lilies on the kitchen table and didn't want to get too realistic but did want to suggest lilies.  More importantly, I wanted to convey their scent in pictorial form.  I'm already longing for spring.  Can you tell?

Feliz Navidad

oil on canvaspaper, 12" x 12"

A little Christmas composition.  Sending out some lights within the darkness...

Moonface

oil on canvasboard, 8" x 8"

This was an experiment that didn't go as planned, so I adapted the composition accordingly.  The subject is an African moon moth, a fascinating flying creature with eerie eyespots giving a human-like appearance.  For some reason, I found it very difficult to get a decent photograph of it.  Ah, the elusive moon moth!

A Row of Roses

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is just another study in a series I'm doing of flowers in a vase, and again, mostly done with a palette knofe, just to refamiliarize myself with subject of still life, the least attempted of all my work. 

Dying Daisy

oil on panel, 6" x 6"

This little mess of a painting of a dying daisy, I'm afraid to say, is now officially dead.  I destroyed it after an experiment that went kablooey.  Oh, well.  Just wanted to document it here for posterity, so its short life wasn't completely in vain.

Aglow in the Dark

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Here's another botanical study.  Just playing around here, trying to push the abstract and botanical elements together.

Exploding Petunia

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This was just a freeform bit of fun with the palette knife, starting with a photo reference but not adhering to it, just using it as a springboard to a more feeling-based treatment of the paint.

Peonies in a Mauve Vase

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Continuing with this little burst of still life exploration that I'm going through, I'm trying to push more abstraction into the mix with the palette knife here.  I do like the warm textural effects of the background and the cool green foreground, but the mauve vase was what I was after.

Upon Reflection

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is a palette knife study in progress, about 95% done.  I rarely do still life paintings, but I'm pushing myself to do them now in a way that is more expressive than representative.  Still, it's all about color for me.