"Anchored" ($60.00)

(adjusted price....$60.00.....mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)

Everyone has a routine. By thoughtfully planning and improving a daily routine, anyone can move their dreams forward. It's the routine that firmly anchors us to the habits that make our dreams come true. Enjoy your routine today!

Abstraction in artwork gives the viewer the "essence" of a concept. In this piece, the overall mood and feeling is reminiscent of the coast. The colors, texture, and division of space are the elements that create the "beach" feeling. It wasn't necessary to paint the waves crashing on the shore or having sea gulls realistically painted in the sky.

These are actually my favorite type of paintings to create because of the mystery involved. The repetition of the vertical lines not only reminds me of the picket fences I've seen at the beach but echoes the concept of a daily routine...something happening over and over again.

Abstraction is a fun and exhilarating way to explore the elements and principles of design. Everything does not need to be rendered precisely. Think about the "essence" of any subject and it will open up many creative doors for you.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Waiting" (sold)

(sold)

No one likes the process of waiting for something. However, the attitude of remaining patient rather than complaining, is the soil in which patience grows. Especially be patient with yourself while striving to reach your goals. Remember that good things come to those who wait!

The idea in this piece was to create shapes and edges that seem to drift off into eternity. That was my way of translating "waiting". It often does seem like an eternity before dreams come true. Also, remember the importance of edges. Soft edges are ethereal, especially when combined with similar values in the color transitions. These soft edges only occur when working "wet into wet". Using diluted color even with the lettering also sustains the desired effect. Think how differently this would have looked had the lettering been done in black. It would have ruined the "slow motion" effect of the mood. Even the feather has subtle value changes from the background. The white specks were created by scraping white soft pastel on the paper and pressing down with a palette knife.

The mood of a piece is so important. Visual communication is all about one message coming through loud and clear. Confusion occurs when the artist tries to communicate too much in the same piece. Just something to think about.

"The Itinerary" ($60.00)

(adjusted price....$60.00....mounted on 1.50" depth clayboard)

Webster defines itinerary as a detailed route. I am absolute positive that every woman on the planet has a story about the man in her life getting lost! The underlyin meaning of this quote is that you don't want to end up in front of a shack when you thought you were on the way to a mansion. This has meaning on so many levels. Think about it.

Edges are very important in this piece. Actually, they're important in every piece. I wanted to convey the idea of being lost by creating very diffused edges. Think about it...the feeling you have when you're lost is something akin to a mental fog. Even the edges of the lettering blend in by virtue of their value.

It's all about the kind of mood you want to convey. Yesterday's posting was very intense with well defined edges. In today's piece, the colors are muted with soft edges throughout. It's all about setting the mood to fit your visual story.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Place Called Peace" (sold)

(sold)

It is often a good idea to sit quietly and pray and allow your cares and worries be transmitted to God so that He can transport you to a place called peace.

Slight angles and gently framing out the center of interest with gradated color blocks and pencil lines creates a soft dynamic. Soft is the key word to describe the mood of this piece. Actually, every piece has a mood. The mood is set by color choices, color intensity, values, subject matter, and soft or hard edges. I always think about and plan the mood of the piece before all else. For instance, I know that blue and burnt sienna create a softer mood because thaey are split complements rather than direct. I also used values to frame out the shape where the chair sits. Having said all of that, I have concluded that creating a piece of artwork is more instructive than a dozen workshops because it forces you to make decisions that will fine tune your design and technical skills. Just something to think about.

"Creative Thought" (sold)

(sold)


This quote is like a commission to all creative people to open up the window of their minds, pay no attention to the internal critic, and let creative thought blow in.

The dominance of vertical lines in this piece is offset by the expressive brown marks running vertically and the use of white glazed diagonally over the window. The horizontal and expressive script also help. As you may have noticed, I do trend towards ethereal looks. Soft pastels, blurring of edges, and the use of white are great tools in achieving that look. If you like that look, it is always instructive to notice how other artists create that mood.