Leslie Peterson Sapp Fine Art

"Shades of Noir" at RiverSea Gallery

2016-09-18T14:34:00.002-07:00

"The Blueprint Remains" 36”x48”

I am once again proud to be the featured artist at RiverSea Gallery. The show opening is October 8th, from 5:00-8:00pm. The featured show exhibit will be hung in the main room through the month of October (but remember my work is always available at RiverSea!)

For this exhibit I have created a body of work based on images from classic film noir.

Each piece is created using a multi-step process:

First I procure the source image from a film. Sometimes I find images from the internet, but more often I capture a screen shot with my camera directly from my TV screen as I play the movie.

This image is from the famous movie "The Killers"

From this image I create several drawings.

Then I make a small collage based on the drawing. The collage’s tiny size makes it necessary for me to simplify and abstract the shapes in the image. I pay careful attention to simplifying shapes, color relationships, and the interaction of darks and lights. I sometimes start on a dark brown ground, which further helps me to edit out unnecessary details and distill the image to its essential parts.

"The Blueprint Remains Miniature" 4.5"x6"

I then create a large piece based on the small collage.

RiverSea Gallery is located in beautiful Astoria, Oregon on the northern coast that features great painting, sculpture, craft and jewelry.

(503)325-1270

1160 Commercial Street, Astoria, Oregon

Open Monday-Friday 11:00-5:50

Sunday 11:00-4:00

Show Opening: October 8th, 5:00-8:00pm

Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale Show Closing Reception!

2016-05-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

"The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale Art Show", features 28 artists who created artworks based on Grimm's Fairy Tales. I made a mixed media work of art based on Cinderella. As the exhibit draws to a close, we have decided to have a closing reception.

The subject matter is unique to me, plus I utilized many different techniques all on this single piece, including collage, collage with tracing paper, charcoal drawing, and paint. I dare say, it is sort of a tour de force of my new artistic direction! Here is a chance for you to see the piece in person before it is taken down.
Closing reception: Friday, May 27th, 6pm.
Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, 1111 SW Broadway

This is a detail of "Cinderella Complex" that utilizes collage, collage with painted transparent tracing paper, charcoal drawing, acrylic paint and scratching with a razor blade.

This is a detail that uses thick applications of charcoal, which is then scratched away with a razor blade to articulate and draw the mice. The leaves are collaged painted paper, and the dress is collaged painted tracing paper over drawn and collage. You can see her legs through the skirt.
In the meantime, the show at Lane Gallery, is still available for viewing!
Lane Gallery is open Weds -Sat,12-5pm.
Additionally I will be present at the gallery during the Slabtown Art Walk on June 11th from 2-6pm.

Exhibition dates, May 14th through July 2nd.
www.lanegallerypdx.com
2412 NW Raleigh St. Portland, OR.

Springtime Shows!

2016-03-29T13:02:00.002-07:00

It seems appropriate that spring is the time where I commence upon a new phase of my art career with a new body of work. I am showing in two new exhibits, very different from one another, but equally exciting. "The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale Art Show" and at Lane Gallery in NW Portland.

"Cinderella Complex" 40"x20"

The first is "The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale Art Show", a juried exhibition of artworks based on Grimm's Fairy Tales. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to make a unique work of art, slightly off the subject matter I have been focused on for a number of years, yet a subject that I felt inspired and impassioned by. This piece of art is based entirely on my imagination, using only a few pieces of photo images as references.

The image is made from combining charcoal drawing, acrylic paint, and paper collage, including painted tracing paper to depict the diaphanous skirt of her dress. Through the filmy material, you can see the outline of her legs and one shoe. Heavy charcoal drawing is used in the lower part of the painting to not only depict the mice, but to represent the charcoal cinders that are the source of her name.

A statement will be displayed along side during the show:

"Cinderella is about to take control of her destiny by transforming herself into a Princess worthy of a better life. But although the transformation may appear complete (by the looks of her clean, glamorous appearance) underneath that veneer she is still rooted in her harder, grittier past (ashes in on her dirty, bare foot, surrounded by nocturnal mice). Though her difficult past may be seen as an inescapable wound, it also bears the foundation of her strength and determination"

Opening reception, April 7th, 5-8pm. Exhibit dates, April 7th through May 31st.

Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR

The second big happening in my world is a show at Lane Gallery, along with June Underwood and Gila Lane. Here I will be showing a sizable group of new work, a few of which I have written about on this blog. I will post more complete information about this closer to the event.

Opening reception, May 14th, 6-8pm. Exhibition dates, May 14th through July 2nd.

www.lanegallerypdx.com

2412 NW Raleigh St.

Portland, OR.

Threshold

2015-11-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

Over the past two years (or is it three?) I have moved twice, helped build our current home and gotten married. Once I settled down into my new life I had to examine my life and my art through new eyes. I have been experimenting with new ways of doing my art, going back to basics by taking art classes, and trying to reinvigorate my craft. Now I feel I am ready to commence upon a new chapter in my art.

One of the major changes that have occurred is that got married, and made the decision to adopt my husband's name of Sapp. So I have made the move to add that name to my artist identity, making it Leslie Peterson Sapp.

I have taken a huge leap of faith, and it feels as though I am finally coming in for a landing!

In many ways, the place I have landed is very much like were I was before. I am still doing images filled with people from the past. But I have expanded, become more adventurous and expressive. My subject matter and source material has widened. If you would like to read more about my current thoughts about my work, read the column just to your right under "About My Painting" and "My Technique".

Meanwhile, here are a few of my newest pieces.

" Big Brass Bed" 18"x24" Collage, charcoal on panel.

"Big Brass Bed" is almost completely collage. It is based on a film still from "The Killers"

"Big 500 10" 7"x8" Collage, charcoal, acrylic on panel.

This is a small piece I made for The Big 500 show on December 12th at The People's Art of Portland. I collaged old newspaper down and painted on top. It is based on a screenshot I took of "The Killers".

"Blue Dahlia" 24"x18" Collage, acrylic, charcoal on panel.

"Blue Dahlia" is a somewhat humorous portrait of my husband and I, based on a movie poster from the classic film.

"Boy on a Settee" 40"x48" Acrylic, collage, charcoal on panel

This image is based on a snapshot. I did a very small version of this a few years ago. I always felt I didn't quite express what attracted me to the photograph. This time I took many liberties with it, and distorted the space to create more feeling and movement.

"Boxer" 30"x40" Acrylic, collage, charcoal, pastel on panel.

This is based on a screenshot I took of the movie "The Killers". I feel it depicts in dramatic fashion the special sort of pressure men are subjected to.

New Possibilities

2014-10-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

After being able to take classes with Mark Andres over the winter and spring, I have been able to return to my work with fresh eyes and honed skills. One of the things that I was encouraged to do in my classes was to create preparatory sketches for my paintings by making collages. By doing this I was able to simplify the shapes and work out color and compositional questions. Here are a few examples of the collages I made followed by the finished painting.

Collage Sketch for Qualms 10"x7"

"Qualms" Acrylic on panel. 16"x11.25"


Collage Sketch for Those Were Pearls That Were Her Eyes 8"x7.75"

"Those Were Pearls That Were Her Eyes" Acrylic on canvas. 66"x60"

Collage Sketch for Commission 9"x9"

Commission. Acrylic on panel. 12"x12"

Collage Sketch for Commission 6"x8"

Commission. Acrylic on panel. 27"x36"

When I showed some of my collage work at my last exhibit at In Bocca al Lupo Fine Art in September, the response was so positive that I have decided to put more work into the collages and produce some as finished, salable pieces of art. Here is an example of my latest work in progress:

Collage Study. Painted paper on board. 20"x10"

A Portland Exhibition at East Bank Commerce Center

2014-04-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

It is has been a year of transitions for me. Now that my life has calmed to a more pleasurable pace, transitions are now manifesting in my painting! I have been taking time to luxuriate in my open ended schedule, to take classes and practice my craft. So although I am painting more than ever, I have not been creating very much finished work ready to show. However, some of my paintings will be making a rare Portland appearance during the month of May at The East Bank Commerce Center at 1001 SE Water St, Portland.

This is the building that happens to house the popular Clark Lewis restaurant. So why not stop there and indulge in a great dinner or a stunning happy hour this May. While you are there, be sure to use the bathroom, because if you do you cannot miss seeing my paintings in the lobby of the building! Many of the paintings have never been shown in Portland before, and there will even be a few new ones.

Keep your eyes open, for I will be having a show of completely new work next September at In Bocca al Lupo Gallery in Milwaukie, Oregon.
have one small show coming up next month. As many of you know, I frequently exhibit in regions outside the Portland area, such as Astoria, Roseburg, and The Dalles. But during the month of May my paintings can be seen at

Learning Again

2014-03-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Since my last post "Back to Basics" I have continued to practice and improve my craft as well as experiment with new subject matter. In the course of it I have started to take a painting class. My husband says "Why do you want to take a painting class? You're already a good painter." And I say, "Because I want to be a better painter!"
The class I am taking is taught by Mark Andres, an artist, filmmaker and teacher I greatly admire. The class goes from 9am to 4pm every Friday, and has a live model. Here are some of the paintings I have done in this class so far.

If you are interested in Mark Andres' work, here are the addresses to his two websites:
Paintings: www.paintingintime.com
Films: www.kinographicnovels.com

Getting Back to Basics

2013-11-19T14:08:00.001-08:00

After a jam-packed couple of years of art exhibits, selling a house, building a house, moving twice and getting married, I am settling into a more placid routine and enjoyment of life. I have very few artistic obligations on my calender, (only one show this coming spring plus a couple commissions) and I LIKE IT! I am luxuriating in my ability to spend as much time as I like on a painting, and have given myself permission to practice, to play, and create work for its own sake, rather than with an eye for sale.

After working from photographs So often, I have been feeling the need to draw and paint from life again. Working from photographs has tremendous advantages, but it can also lead to rigidity and complacency. So not only is working from life good practice, it also can broaden and deepen my experience in art making and lets me be in touch with the wonder of seeing.

Self portraits are an obvious choice when working from life- it is convenient and I don't complain about having to sit still for so long! But because I am concentrating as I work, most of my self portraits have a stern, even angry look about them. I'm not really angry, just absorbed in what I am doing, and that emotion gets translated into the finished work.

Self Portraits are not the only life painting I have been doing. This is a painting of a pair of very large plants I have in my art studio.

By getting back to basics I aim to raise my confidence and mastery in my painting. As I joked to myself the other day, "I'm trying to teach myself how to paint."

"Seine Nets and Regattas" a show at RiverSea Gallery

2013-07-28T17:50:00.004-07:00


"1946 Astoria Regatta; Salmon Derby Winner"

"Seine Nets and Regattas" is my new show at RiverSea Gallery, opening this August 3rd. I have created all new work for the exhibit, all based on photographs of Astoria.

For this show, not only have I created all new work, but I have branched out and used a new surface, plaster. I applied plaster on wood, and then drew and painted on that. The affect has a different feel and appearance, and I liked working on it a lot. To see some more of my work, scroll down. I will share with you the techniques I used and information about the photographs I worked from.

The Astoria Regatta started in 1894. It stemmed from a way for the community to celebrate the return of Astoria fishermen from Alaska. Along with the boat pageant, there evolved a parade, a beauty contest, and a salmon derby where who caught the largest salmon won. The Astoria Regatta was suspend for three periods; WWI, after the devastating 1921 fire that destoyed much of down town Astoria, and during WWII. It started back up in 1948 and has been celebrated every year in early August. This year the dates are Wednesday August 7th though Sunday August 11th.

"Astoria Regatta, 1890's" 24"x24" Acrylic on panel

"Astoria Regatta, 1941" 24"x30" Acrylic on panel

This must have been part of the Regatta celebration, featuring an Andrews Sisters style local singing group. The date of the photograph is 1941, so it must have been the last Regatta before being suspended during WWII.

"The Wreck of the Miss Epps III" 14"x11" Acrylic on panel

The Miss Epps was a famous speedboat that competed in one of the Astoria Regatta boat races. As you can see, Miss Epps has met her demise, and is being held together in a bundle by rope.


"Butterfly Regatta, Astoria Oregon" 24"x36" Acrylic on plaster

This painting is acrylic on plaster. It is based on a famous photograph owned by the Oregon History Project. These are small gillnet fishing boats used by fishermen who worked for the Union Fish Cannery. The boats were powered by two tiangular sails which, when running downwind with a second spiritsail resembled butterfly wings.

The Astoria fishing industry has been the predominant industry in Astoria up until recent times.While looking for images to use for this show, I came across a bunch of early 1900's photographs of men using seine nets to gather up loads of salmon in the shallows of the Columbia River. They used horses and manpower to pull the heavy nets around. The resulting images are stark, lonesome and beautiful. They inspired me enormously.

"Indians Seining Salmon on Sand Island 1908" 24"x36" Acrylic and charcoal on plaster.

"Loading Seine onto Barge Preparatory to Making a Haul, 1908" 24"x40" Acrylic and charcoal on plaster

"Seine Fishing, Lower Columbia River" 12"x16" Acrylic and charcoal on panel

"Taking Salmon from Seine Net to Wagon 1908" 24"x40" Acrylic on plaster


"Fishermen on a Small Powerboat 1908" 24"x30" Acrylic on plaster

"Gill Net Fishing, Astoria, OR." 12"x8" Acrylic and charcoal on panel

"Interior of House Boat Sleeping Bunks 1908" 20"x20" Acrylic on panel

Though most of the fishermen were immigrants from Scandinavia, the workers in the canneries were mostly Chinese or Chinese-American. These images came from the Library of Congress in the early 1940's.

"Dockworkers, Astoria, Oregon 1941" 24"x28" Acrylic on panel


"Gutting Tuna, Astoria, Oregon 1944" 24"x31" Acrylic on panel


"The Wreck of the Alice McDonald" 24"x36" Acrylic and charcoal on plaster

Spring and Summer Art Shows

2013-03-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

This spring and summer there are several opportunities to see my art in different towns in beautiful Oregon. Here is a rundown of my upcoming shows.

Exhibit number one!

April 1st through April 25th

Lane Community College Art Gallery
I will be giving an artist lecture on Thursday, April 4th at 3pm. There will be a reception following. All are welcome to attend!

4000 East 30th Avenue,
Eugene, OR. Building 11
541-463-5409

Exhibit number two!

June 6th through June 29th

The Dalles Art Center
Out in the beautiful Columbia Gorge, half and hour west of Maryhill Museum.

The Reception will be June 6th, from 5-7pm

The Dalles Art Center,
220 East 4th St.The Dalles, OR. 97058
(541) 296-4759

Exhibit number three!

August 3rd through September 3rd, 2013

RiverSea Gallery!

All new work created specifically for RiverSea, all based on historic photographs and snapshots of Astoria. Artist Reception is Saturday, August 3rd 5-7pm. I will be there to meet, greet, and chat about my work.
Astoria Art Walk will be Saturday, August 10th.
RiverSea Gallery
1160 Commercial St.Astoria, OR.
(503)325-1270

Winter Transitions...

2013-03-21T21:30:00.002-07:00

This year has been spent in a temporary rental while my fiance and I build our new house. It is amazing what art can be accomplished in a tiny spare bedroom with a tarp to protect the floor! In between meetings and decision making about the house I have managed to create a body of work and start on a new one for a show I am having at RiverSea Gallery this coming August. I have started to experiment with new materials and work with a teacher to hone my craft.

I look forward to sharing my new work with you in the new year!

2013-03-21T21:28:00.001-07:00

"Salad Days" 6"x8" Acrylic on panel.

This December, I will be one of the artists showing at RiverSea Gallery, in beautiful Astoria, Oregon.

December 2012 Invitational Group Show:
“Postcards from the Edge”
a small format show for wall-hung artwork
Show Dates: December 8 - 31, 2012
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 8, 5 - 8 pm

Video of Leslie painting "Causal"

2012-06-13T12:22:00.002-07:00

Here is another 15 minute video of me, painting a piece named "Causal", currently showing at RiverSea Gallery. Halfway through the video are a couple of sequences of me talking about decisions I have to consider about where to take the painting next.

Interview on Astoria Radio

2012-06-01T11:16:00.005-07:00

On the occasion of my exhibition at RiverSea Gallery, I am being interviewed on Astoria's radio station, KMUN on Arts: Live and Local from 3-4pm Friday, June 1.

During the month June, I will be the featured artist at RiverSea Gallery. There is an opening reception June 2nd from 6-8pm, with a quick artists talk at 6:30. You can read about the event in its entirety in the post just below!

Featured Artist at RiverSea Gallery

2012-05-16T16:56:00.001-07:00

"You Are the Only One" 24"x36" Acrylic on panel

This coming June, I will be the featured artist at RiverSea Gallery, in beautiful Astoria, Oregon.

In this exhibit "From Now To Yesterday", I will be presenting a whole new body of work. With this new effort I have continued to explore compositions based on vintage snapshots. Choices of subject include a fisherman in the Florida swamps, bikini-clad lovelies creating a stir in the early 70’s, and a young, stylish couple posing next to their brand new Model T. Most of the work is on flat-grain verneer plywood, which has a distinctive, dramatic wood grain. I specially oriented many of the compositions to feature the wood grain as an element. Sometimes the grain is used as a flat abstracted pattern element in the image, other times it is used to describe objects in the painting, such as the sky or ground.

Painting sizes range from small and practical to large and dramatic. RiverSea Gallery is in Astoria, Oregon, a historic town where the Columbia River meets the Pacific. Housed in a 1920’s storefront in the downtown historic district, RiverSea Gallery is within strolling distance of restaurants, theaters, hotels, boutiques, museums and other galleries.

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 2nd, 6-8pm. Artist Talk at 6:30pm

Second Saturday Arts Walk Reception: Saturday, June 9th, 5-8pm

RiverSea Gallery 1160 Commercial Street Astoria, Oregon 97103 503.325.1270 www.riverseagallery.com

Open Daily

Monday-Thursday: 11:00am - 5:30pm
Friday-Saturday: 11:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday: 11:00am - 4:00pm

A video of me painting "Vignette"!

2012-03-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

Here is my first self-produced video of myself working on a painting! (Please excuse the quality, this is a new skill for me!) The painting is named "Vignette", and it is based on a vintage slide - featuring my father, Gary Peterson playing the piano.

A minor artistic interuption.

2012-01-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

My partner Jim and I sold our house - hooray! We are building a new house in Lake Oswego, OR. So we have moved into a rental for the next 6 or 7 months until it is built. I just set up my studio in our rental a few days ago, and began art making again after a couple months hiatus. Here are some pictures of our move #1.

My studio in a box.

There are a lot of flat things in an art studio.

My treasured easel. My mother bought it for me at a garage sale in 1993. This is a time when I had decided not to be a painter anymore' She said "Well, I think I will buy it for you anyway, just in case." Bless you, Mom!

Jim and I love lots of big books with pictures in them.

The huge room that has served as my art studio for the past 5 or 6 years.

My new itty bitty one at the rental! But I am happy happy happy. Its little, but it has great light.

My beloved easel...

The spare bedrooms in our rental are serving as storage units.

An embarrassment of riches. They are packed!

Day four of the Leedy Grange mural... completion!

2011-09-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

Ah! After four days of my mural marathon, I have completed the image. I will go back to touch up, and take care of loose ends, but for the most part I think I am done! Working with house paint is very different than working with artist paint. It has a totally different consistency, at once thinner, and yet more gooey.

It was also a very different experience to do art in a public space, with a public purpose. Sometimes people would actually honk and yell encouragement from their cars!

It was also really great to have locals come by and talk about the neighborhood and how much it has changed over the years. One woman came by and said she was born in a house right across the street where the Walgreen's is now. Al from Al's Barbershop came over to say hello. I used to play outside his shop when I was a little girl, and my friend Melissa's dad used to get his haircut. My mom and dad were founding members of Cedar Mill Community Library, which was also originally housed on that block in about 1973. So it felt good to contribute to that community I grew up in and spent so much time right there in that area, and to feel a part of it again.

Day Three of the Leedy Grange mural

2011-09-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

It was a great day to paint a mural! I got a good sleep last night, and got a lot done today. As the painting gets closer and closer to completion, the changes will be less and less noticeable.

Day two of the Leedy Grage mural...

2011-09-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

It was misting this morning, so I was a bit nervous that it would start to rain. But it eventually passed. I started on the color today.

First day of the Leedy Grange mural.

2011-09-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

Well it was the first day at the Leedy Grange mural... I arrived at 8am to start drawing, and draw I did! I completed the drawing at 4:30 pm and I am looking forward to busting out some paint tomorrow! Here are some pictures, plus a little video I took at the start of the day.

My First Outdoor Mural

2011-09-11T15:37:00.000-07:00

During the week of September 12th, I will be painting an 8 ft. by 16 ft. mural on the Leedy Grange Hall in the neighborhood of Cedar Mill 835 NW Saltzman Rd., Portland OR. It will be based on this photograph, which is of the founding members of Leedy Grange in 1908.

I was born and raised in Cedar Mill, so my heart is truly in this project. I will be outside painting the mural, so if you are in the neighborhood, come by and say hello. If you can't do that, keep your eyes open for photos documenting my progress on this blog and my facebook page. Here is a small sketch I have done for the project.

Stay tuned!

Friday I went to pick up my paint. Miller Paint has generously agreed to donate the paint for the mural. I made up a tiny color swatches for them out of my acrylic paint at home, and they have done a beautiful job matching them exactly! Once I picked up the paint and saw how beautiful it is, I started to get excited.

Today I went to the grange hall to set up and draw a grid on the wall. The grid squares on the wall are one foot in size, and corresponds to the photograph I am working from. The grid on the photograph is just under one inch in size.

Tomorrow I am going to get up far too early and drive out to Cornelius to obtain my scaffolding from Grand Rental Station. (cute name, huh?) Then the magic will start. I have bought large, fat sticks of charcoal, and I will start the drawing process (which is my favorite part!)

"ReCreation" show at Gallery 114

2011-08-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last June I had my first one person show at my cooperative gallery, Gallery 114. It is a huge and beautiful space, so I had to work hard to fill it with new paintings! I was very happy with how it all looked, the turnout, and even made a few sales! Here is a sampling of what was showing there, and some background information about the images, how and why I painted them.

"Crater" 40"x48" Acrylic on panel.

This was the largest painting in the show, and occupied a central position in it. This arresting image is based on a photograph taken by an army photographer on a Pacific Island during WWII. These soldiers are bathing, relaxing and washing their clothes in a bomb crater. Just behind the crater, a crashed Japanese fighter plane rests, its wings ripped from its body, tilting up at an extreme angle. The presence of destruction and restoration is presented in the same image. There is also a clever reference to classical nude paintings, such as Manet's "Luncheon on the Grass" Cezanne's "Large Bathers" and of course, "The Swimming Hole" by Thomas Eakins.

This painting has also been chosen to be a part of the All Oregon Art Annual, a statewide competition featured at the Oregon State Fair.

"Blur" 30"x40" Acrylic on panel.

This is a painting I worked very hard on for quite a long time. When I was finally “done” with it, I thought to myself, “Well, I’ve just made an albatross. No one will ever want this painting. It’s no good.” So I put it away and moved on. Several months later, I took it out again and thought, “Well, that’s not so bad, after all”. When I hung it up for this show, it turned out to be one of the most popular paintings there! Doing art is never predictable, always surprising, and I as the artist myself, am not always the best judge of my own work.

“Blur” is based on a snapshot from my stepfather's estate. I believe it is from the neighborhood he grew up in, Parkrose, Portland. A small boy scampers across a sunlit yard at near sunset. The photograph is taken peeping over a picket fence. The angle of the shot is so low it leads me to believe it was taken either by another child, or an adult who is stooped down, concealed behind the fence. The child is moving so fast his arms are blurred into oblivion. In fact, the child's shadow is sharper and crisper than the child himself, lending the shadow a stronger sense of reality and form; the boy is ghostly, his shadow is corporal.

"Firecracker" 30"x40" Acrylic on panel.

Based on a snapshot from the early 20th century, four young boys dash and leap away from a single spot on the pavement, where they have just lit a firecracker. The active movement the boys' bodies create is counter-acted by a very limited palette, only about 4 colors, plus white and black.

"Touch" 24"x36" Acrylic on panel.

This is a snapshot of boys playing touch football at night. A flash lights up the scene like a lightning strike at the moment one boy touches the one carrying the football. If you’ll notice, the size of the “pigskin” is pretty huge compared to what is used today. This painting is done in a looser style than I usually use, to depict the movement and the lack of detail caused by the darkness.

"Please, Please, Sorry, Thank you" 30"x40" Acrylic on panel.

A very young girl with a yellow balloon laughs while riding a horse on a merry-go-round. The horse is brick red, and the sunlight is low and golden. I am captivated by the contrast of the girls happy face and the horrific expression of the horse, carved as if it were galloping and neighing furiously. A friend of mine pointed out that the horse seems more real than the girl. I love to create art that holds contradicting elements in a single, holistic image.

"Precipice" 30"x40" Acrylic on panel.

Based on a snapshot from the 1950's, a gaggle of happy teenage girls wearing scarves cavort on a beautiful two-toned convertible. In the background the severe drop of a wooden rollercoaster can be seen. I really am excited by the juxtaposition of the light-hearted fun of the girls and the perilous angle of the carnival ride. I am also captivated by the way the angle of the ride is echoed the angle provided by the girls' heads.

"The Heart Is Just a Muscle" 22"x28" Acrylic on panel.

This is another image that I am compelled to paint again and again. The most beguiling thing for me about this is the arrangement and movement of the objects and elements that make up the image; the women are standing in a circle, echoing the rotating movement of the ride. The gestures of the live children and inanimate horses creating diagonals that reinforce the rotation almost like a spiraling movement.

This image is based on a snapshot from my late stepfather's family. His mother is the woman hidden behind the woman in yellow. The women are presumably waiting for their children while they ride a merry-go-round, a very motherly duty. The women have curiously stern expressions, which, to me, is in distinct contrast to what we usually think of as motherly.

“The Early Universe” 30”x40”. Acrylic on panel.

It is amazing to me that this composition was created by a simple, accidental snapshot. Three boys consult with an adult in a uniform and peaked hat about their special bicycle, all decked out with wooly handlebar tassels, headlight and heavy, pinstriped fenders. The arrangement of the figures, the hose uncoiling across the grass, and the fact that the photo was taken close to the ground, makes for an arresting image. The subject matter demonstrates a combination of sweet nostalgia and the unsentimental world of children at play.

I attempt to accentuate the abstract shapes in the image by altering the colors of the grass slightly from space to space, and to create lay lines across the images, a la Charles Sheeler.

Some are easy, some are hard.

2011-04-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a large (30"x40") painting that I have done THREE versions of and I am still struggling with it.

I love the original image, but it is complicated, especially in the areas of color, light and space. (What else is there in a painting, you may ask?) I decided to "make it easier" and used a small, child's overhead projector to create a loose outline, instead of doing it all by hand like I usually do. Unfortunately, I have found that crime (in this case the crime is the use of a aid, such as a projector) does not always pay. The painting immediately became bogged down with the immense amount of detail. A painting that is merely a collection of details is not usually a great painting.
This is the finished image of the "Glimmer Rhythm I"

This looks pretty good, but not great, in my view. But the problems presented by this image has got its hooks into me by this time, and so I started a second version. This time I used a white background ( I usually paint on bare wood) thinking that perhaps the bright color of the horses' bridals would be more luminous. Once again, I tried to "make it easier" this time by using a transfer from the original painting. And once again, my artistic sin came back to haunt me.

The color is definitely brighter, but the confusing space and detail still plagues me.

Here is a finished, or nearly finished version on white, "Glimmer Rhythm II"

I became frustrated and so I went back to the basics and tried to start again with a small, black and white thumbnail sketch. This is something I ought to do with every painting, its something my professors back in college taught me to do. The fact that I rarely do sketches may be attributed to my natural perverse, self-defeating nature, or "I'm only good when I have to be".

So here I go, starting with version #3, and as is the case with many of my paintings, the beginning drawing is always the funnest part. This time I do it all completely freehand. Through the drawing process, I am able to chose which details are included or dropped, and how they are expressed. And its not even all that hard.

I laid down the color as soon as I could, trying to create large areas of value and color.

I slowly build up the image organically.

Here is the latest version of this painting, and I am wondering how much more energy to exert on it.

With every painting, there is a point to it, almost like a plot in a story. This image has a plot that is conflicting and doesn't seem to be gelling for me. Its about bright color and black. Its about a gathering of elements on a shallow plane, sort of like a tapestry. Its about a web of vertical and horizontal elements. Its about childhood innocence, but also childhood fears, like the scary horse face and the sulking child in white.
They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I hope that if this painting doesn't kill me, it will at least make me a better artist!

POST UPDATE!!!

A few of my fabulous fans commented on my struggles.My friend and fellow artist Bridget Benton suggested this:
"What if this was happening at night? Somehow the black horse might look more . . . suited if that band of blue sky were black . . ."

So I tried it and it seems to be coming together more...

2010-12-26T13:21:00.001-08:00

A cool group show I was in at Gallery 114 - Happy New Year!