Summer 2018
W I N G S O F F R E E D O M
Oil on cotton canvas, 16.5" x 18.5"
Wings of Freedom - my first retirement painting - is based on a photo I shot at Chicago’s Palwaukee Airport.
The small but well attended airshow featured several WWII bombers. My favorite was this battle-scarred, but still airworthy, B-25 J. The plane's moniker, Tondelayo, was inspired by Hedy Lamarr's leading role in the classic 1942 movie, White Cargo.
My painting's title, its strength, brightness, upbeat hues and optimism reflect my disposition as I embrace the milestone of retirement.
Spring 2020
T H E D A N C E B E Y O N D
Oil on Panel, 13.5" x 15"
As I watched our grandchildren's tricycle emerge into morning brightness, I thought of Debbie. Free now from illness and shadow of times past. Dancing beyond.
Shining, sparkling, forever new, forever near.
Let the little children come unto me... for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.
Summer 2020
T H E M I S C H I E F
Norwich, England
Oil on Canvas, 16” x 20”
Late afternoon shadow and light showcased the austere elegance of this old pub. As we watched two passersby turn and walk inside, an almost-staged sense of solitude seemed to blanket the cityscape. One of my favorite painters came to mind.
I said to Debbie, standing alongside, "Edward himself couldn't have art-directed this more Hopper-like." She agreed. 5 years later, I tried capturing the moment on canvas.
Spring 2019
M A N N E E D S A R T N E E D S M A N ™
Oil on Canvas / Adobe Illustrator
Giclee on paper, 20" x 20"
As great ideas and great images merge, they're stamped with honest imprints of their authors. They take-on worthwhile parts of human itinerary and synergies form.
Symbioses form too. The familiar becomes wonderful, the wonderful familiar and art becomes essential.
My favorite artist/painter, Wayne Thiebaud, puts it this way, "Paintings," he says, "are inert, still, quiet; but painters found a way to bring it [them] to life. A new visual species is another kind of world..."
I cannot say it better than that.
Autumn 2018
D E B B I E
Oil on cotton canvas, 16.5" x 18.5"
Debbie and I attended what must have been our fourth or fifth Sargent exhibition in mid 2018. Included - among other period painters - was renowned Swedish artist, Anders Zorn.
I left the exhibit inspired to paint a portrait with a Zorn-style limited pallet (consisting of only titanium white, ivory black, cadmium red light and yellow ochre). I took to the palette and was amazed by its range of hues. In all my years of painting, I'd never owned a tube of black.
This is my second portrait of Debbie. I painted the first in 1969, our senior year in high school. Seems like yesterday now.
Summer 2020
D A N D E L I O N W A L K
Oil on Canvas, 8” x 16”
She loves to walk with Grandma and pick dandelions.
I did this oil sketch in preparation for a series of painting classes with a contemporary visual artist whose spontaneity, simplification of form and impactfulness I greatly admire!
Autumn 2020
Z A Q
Oil on Canvas, 11” x 14”
Zaq is my sister's 10-month old puppy.
I did this oil sketch in preparation for a series of painting classes with a contemporary visual artist whose spontaneity, simplification of form and impactfulness I greatly admire!
Summer 2019
D O N U T E N C O U N T E R
Oil on Canvas, 8” x 8”
In late summer 2016, I began what was to be a quick oil-sketch of one of our five grandchildren. After an hour or so of painting, the composition was established and I was pretty happy with the face, hair and eyes. But not so much the hand. I sat the canvas aside.
FAST FORWARD
Summertime three years later, I painted-in a new hand and vanilla-frosted donut.This time without sprinkles.
Winter 2019
S T U F F O F A N G E L S
Photoshop
Giclee on paper, 11.5" x 20“
It was gratifying to see Stefani Germanotta take home multiple Grammys and an Academy Award for two of her most impassioned songs:
- JOANNE (Where Do You Think You're Goin’?) and
- SHALLOW, hit-duet from A Star Is Born
Shortly after the awards, I made this print. It's my tribute to Lady Gaga’s breakaway talent, hard work, passion and compassion.
"....how you say it is the stuff of angels." Jack-to-Ally excerpt from ASiB
Winter 2018
L O O K I N G B A C K
Oil on panel, 23" x 26"
It was a mid-morning, early spring day when I spotted her, less than 30 feet away. An elegant, beautifully lit, chestnut doe showcased against a northern Wisconsin bog. Looking back at me.
I reached slowly for my camera, but was only able to snap one photo before she bolted. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the photo was out of focus. Surprisingly, the lack of resolution helped me see distinct color shapes, composition and the compelling atmosphere of the moment.
I knew right away, I wanted to paint it.
Spring 2021
H O P S C O T C H
Oil on Canvas, 11" x 14"
I painted this canvas as a gift to my sister, Denna, depicted here playing hopscotch with her granddaughter.
Denna is incredibly intuitive and I have long-since ceased wondering how she knows what she knows, especially what she always knows about the goings-on in my life.
We're connected.
Winter 2021
F I G U R E P A I N T I N G C L A S S
Oil Sketches on Canvas
This past February I attended a month-long, online oil painting seminar taught by one of my favorite contemporary impressionistic painters, Marjorie Hicks. From her home studio in Nashville, Tennessee, she taught her method of painting the human figure. Locations of my 23 classmates ranged as far west as Hawaii and as far east as Paris.
Shown here are three of my quick oil sketch 'underpaintings' done during this inspiring class. The underpainting–Marjorie Hicks style–is done in grays mixed from three primary hues and white. Its purpose is to quickly and spontaneously establish composition, capture light / shadow shapes and serve as a value roadmap for the remainder of the painting.
Reference photo courtesy of Marjorie Hicks