Abstract in Yellow and Green

 

acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Just playing around with layers and depth here.

Girl with Yellow Umbrella

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

I'm already getting nostalgic for summer and it's not over yet.  An end-of summer scene here of a girl in an undisclosed European coastal region.  The bright yellow umbrella against that dark azure sky really appealed to me.

Not Buyin' It

oil on canvas paper, 9" x 12"

Sold

This study of my little dog Lola was done from a photo I took a few years ago.  That sidelong glance of hers has always amused me and I wanted to capture the spirit of that skeptical look.

Keeping Time

oil on panel, 16" x 16"

This is a painting I just had to do for my own gratification of a Cuban guitarist in Santiago.  Aside from the cool green watch and of course the guitarist, I do really like that red door.

Before the Fall

oil on canvas, 10" x 10"

Finally getting around to this study of two little girls I spotted doing gymnastics on the beach at St. Ives in England.  I've wanted to paint them for quite a while as an expression of the exuberance and carefree joie de vivre of childhood, before puberty arrives and changes everything.

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. 

DayDreaming

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

This is an abstract piece I did today after a late start in the studio due to an appointment.  I like it.

Round the Bend: Road to Covelo

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 12"

This is just a quick little landscape study of a section of Highway 162, which is the road to Covelo in Mendocino County, where I was headed to spent some time with my friends at their ranch.  I had thought that the reference photo I worked from was taken somewhere in Sonoma County, as many of the local roads have a similar look.  But upon closer inspection, that is not Black Mountain in the distance but the mountains of Mendocino National Forest.

Smiley Me

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 9"

This is a self portrait during my New York days.  I was at a party with my friend Armando and I was wearing a wig because I was auditioning everywhere I could for the part of Eponine in "Les Miserables."  I was obsessed with it and trying to convince anyone to give me a chance.  Eponine was a waif, a lonely character, and while I knew I could sing and act the part, I don't think I projected enough pathos . . . certainly not at this party!

No One Compares 2 U 2

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

For this version of a portrait of Sinead O'Connor, my second attempt, I used a grid.  In this version, she looks less vulnerable to me, more confident.  Not sure which one I prefer.

Havana Horn Player

 

oil on panel, 16" x 16"

I found an interesting photo online of a horn player in Havana, Cuba, and just wanted to make a painting of it, so I did.

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.

Smoky Sky

oil on canvas panel, 14" x 11"

This is what I'd call a simplified landscape painting, not quite in the abstracted landscape ballpark, done mostly with a palette knife.  Nonetheless, I like the copper tones in this one.  I think they offset the buildings in the background nicely.  The scene is inspired by the smoke from the recent Canadian fires that drifted down into the U.S., especially along the East Coast.

No One Compares 2 U

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Upon hearing of the death of Sinead O'Connor at the young age of 56, I was moved to paint her portrait, as she was such a uniquely powerful singer, songwriter and activist.  I thought I would challenge myself by doing this portrait with a palette knife.  It was challenging.

Cottonwood Cluster

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Another trip down memory lane with this painting of cottonwood trees by the roadside I found so enchanting on a drive from Taos to Ojo Caliente.

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.

Black-headed Gull

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Another bird study, just trying to keep it loose.

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.

Green-eyed Girl

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Fooling around with a more sculptural look, at least in the background and the hair.  I've long seen myself as a more sculptural painter, and yet I rarely seem to apply that method to my work.  This is an attempt to break out of a mold and get more playful with the medium.

Lower Ranchitos

 

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 12"

This study is a rural scene from the lower end of Taos, New Mexico, mostly done with palette knife.