Summer Works

Dusk, Oil on Canvas, 30" W x 20"H

Headlights, Oil on Canvas, 36"W x 24"H

Having fun in my studio, inspired by my surroundings. I've also been working on learning to knit and sew. Its been a wonderfully productive summer. I'll hopefully be exhibiting one of these paintings at a gallery in Middletown in September, as I'm going to submit one for an open call.

Interior Gym

Oil on Canvass, 24"W x 20"H

Interior of a gym Adam and I used to workout in a few years ago.

Glass and Metal Reflection

Oil on Canvass, 30"W x 24"H

Still Lifes

Still Life Bikes and Beer: Oil on Canvass 48"W x 48"H

Still Life White Chair: Oil on Canvass 24"W x 36"H

Still Life Window Reflection: Oil on Canvass 24"W x 36"H

Once I have a minute to breathe...

I'll post new work within the next week, to satisfy my lovely friends who have been asking!

Me! or a likeness of...

Fun with oil paint and a limited palate. My face and my legs, approximately.

robot sample

Potential Album cover for Geomancer - Robots vs. Humans. I think a giant exploding volcano, a few robots destroying an army....maybe a flying saucer or two... possible Zelda Future world... these were the notes I took down from Danielle.

to be painted...

Clayton. It seems I'll start with friends from Texas, since I've already done Anna.

new projects

I've started working on a series of portraits to beef up on my face skills. Gouache and pencil on gessoed cardboard. I've amassed a small fortune in cardboard over the last year, and it seems to keep on accumulating in my studio, and so I'm putting it to use. I enjoy the throw away aesthetic, and I think it fits well with the portraits I am working on - mainly people that have been in my life that I no longer see. Both objects and people that have been disgarded over time, whether intentionally or circumstantially.

I'm going to keep these quick and simple - I have 5 gessoed right now, and when those are all filled up we will see what I have to say about it. I think this is going to be a very enjoyable exercise.

small work

This was just a fun little ditty. I'm hoping to get some pictures taken this weekend so I can start working on a landscape. I'll post the drawing as it comes. Hopefully school won't get in the way of me painting too much!

the last of winter break...

I'm kind of sad this one is done! I sped through it so I can try to start another painting quickly before winter break ends. I have only 4 days left till the grind of school begins again. All I ever want to do is paint.

Drawing Completed

This was a fun drawing, and now I get to paint. I think that Jen will be very surprised. I love working on people. I should get this painted within t he next day or two, so that I may move on to other things.

new work, some in progress

This is another drawing I am hoping to lure some new clients in with. George the Sphynx is from a breeder in NYC, and I will be mailing this out, along with my business cards, in hopes that the breeder will enjoy the image enough to give my business card to friends, neighbors, etc. I need to drum up some business for 2009, and who doesn't love a free cat portrait? If it were me, I'd be stoked to get this in the mail, and more than happy to pass out a few cards.

This will eventually be a painting of my nephew Cycle and niece Charlie. I hope to get the drawing finished early this week, but this is a good start. As Adam alwasy tells me "you better get the eyes right!" and I think this time I did - drawing people is a ton of fun.

RIP Yoda

My friend's cat died yesterday, so I made them a little painting for a memorial. Yoda was a really sweet cat, and will be missed.

more work

School's been getting me down - busy as hell. Got a few new works, and am working on a few more. I hope to get a painting done for myself over winter break - I have 3 weeks of freedom, and I want to do a landscape I'm been dreaming of. Hopefully building stuff for the house wont get in the way too much. Here's two new comissions, one finished, and one in the works.

in progress and finished recent comissions

long time no post

Wow I can't believe its been a few months since I've posted anything. Not that I haven't been working or keeping busy - moved across the country, got a house, put tons of effort into painting all the rooms nicely, and I only have to finish the bedroom before I can retire my wall paint. God I can't wait for that!

Started school again, got a job substitute teaching, started student-teaching middle-schoolers, I am mentoring a really awesome 8th grader named Nala, and tomorrow I will start volunteering at Epoch Arts, a youth-arts-center. Whew! Its been busy. On top of all that I've got a new commission I'm working on, and hopefully another one on the way. I have to start thinking about xmas presents too, and I think Eric will have to get a pic of Garbage for xmas to compliment the one of Dutchy he got last year. Oh yeah, we are hopefully getting another cornish rex in a month, which I'm pumped about.

So I'll try to update this more often with my own work - schoolwork is crazy time-consuming too, but I need to keep up with my commissions or I wont get paid!

Couldn't get a focused picture of this guy for the life of me, so the angle here is the best I could do.

best job ever

Staying home and painting all day is the best job ever. Here's my latest creation for my parents -King Grundy - I think they'll be happy, and I had lots of fun making this. It references the painting Napoleon on his Imperial throne by jean August Dominique Ingres.

I'll be moving to Connecticut next week, so I'll be spending time painting our new house and getting settled in, and working on a series of posters for some Mtn Bike races between him and his brothers. I also will start the next mtn bike painting for the diptych. I wish I had screen printings materials and it might be something I invest in sometime in the future. Printmaking is fun too, and I like making posters. But hey, I want a lot of things. :)

I'm really looking forward to the change of pace and the quietness of living in the country again, and although I'm going to really miss my crossfit friends, I know that I will meet some cool people at school and people will eventually come workout with us at our own gym - Middlesex County does need a crossfit!

work in progress

A Mighty Hunt!

I'll be bringing this back to Chicago with me when I visit in August. As I was making it I was thinking about the different symbolism often found in olde-tymy hunt paintings. Caitlin is an awesome person, so here's a fun little lesson in these symbols, cause I've had a lot of fun reading about them.

The black and white magpie flying in from the left constitutes evil, or satan. While the swallow it flies with represents God's illumination. Together flying towards Caitlin, I think of them a
way to suggest both the good and bad within her. The hounds represent loyalty and courage, and are often associated with Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. Horses are indicative of generosity and happiness. The Olive trees represent peace, abundance, longevity, fertility, and victory.

Overall as I was making this painting I was enjoying the ideas of representing Caitlin's character, as well as the good wishes I hope for her life.

I think its pretty fun to look into traditional ideas and symbolism in the paintings I make, especially since I'm making art in the traditional format of portrait painting.