In this collection I've tried to express a lifelong intrigue with water and all the things that live in it. This subject has been my main focus for the past two years. My attempt to capture the color, depth, and reflective nature of a colorless substance has been an exciting challenge that still eludes me.
Although I primarily work from photographs, most of these paintings were done en plein aire which I love. Unfortunately the weather here does not permit much opportunity for it.
Flowers and things that grow are, by their very nature an irresistable subject for painters. My approach tends to be a little different than a pretty bouquet on a table. I like to get up close and personal - into the heart of a flower or plant and see what's really in there.
In this series I wanted to portray the delicate relationship between plants and the tiny winged pollinators they depend on. These little creatures go largely unnoticed in life and so, became secondary in the paintings. Even though they play the major role, they blend in while the flowers become the focus. They take little and give much, but without them the crucial balance would end.
I love painting animals and have a lot of requests to do commission work for pet portraits as many of these are. I always paint the eyes first because if the eyes aren't right - it won't be your beloved pet. My favorites to paint would have to be birds and cats.
These paintings were an experiment in which I concentrated on painting only negative space around the subject. As I proceeded, with eight to twelve layers of new shapes and glazes, I watched the initial forms jump forward as the rest of the shapes changed color and receded into the background.
I've had much controversy over the title of this collection but I painted these while caring for my dying mother. Her needs were minimal but I had to keep my hands busy without getting too technical. She passed away while I was finishing them so I find the title quite appropriate. I have dedicated these paintings to her.
The Pink Flamingos started out as a somewhat 'tongue in cheek' project. I happen to have a good sized flock of plastic ones in my yard and was working on doing some paintings of them. A local bird shop where I have sold some of my bird paintings mentioned that September was National Pink Flamingo month and would I mind doing some for her store. Unable to say no I put my plastic ones on hold (where they still remain) and whipped out a flock of smaller paintings for September 2007. The shop owner was thrilled and asks for them each year and I now have a bunch of pink flamingos that will never sell!
The paintings in this collection are the leftovers that didn't seem to fit into any other category. They are also the ones where I just decided to have fun and play. I hope to be adding many more.
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