Mixed Media Apples

Nevada Apple, mixed media on paper, 14.5" x 10.5"

New Jersey Apple, mixed media on paper, 14.5" x 10.5"

These two pieces were experiments in mixed media. I'm looking for ways to combine drawing and painting, and to layer texture and pattern. I started with pages pulled from an old road atlas, then pressed fabric into a layer of matte medium to create texture. I drew on top of that with graphite, then added thin layers of oil paint. I'm pleased with these pieces and definitely plan to experiment some more.

Recent Work

Supplicant, oil on panel, 9" x 24"

Supplicant (detail)

This skinny birch panel had been hidden away in a closet for over a year. I'd glued paper to it, begun a painting and promptly lost interest. I really liked the size, though, so I decided to tear off as much of the old painting as I could, and start over. I was also anxious to play around with the contrast between very smooth, realistic skin and a rougher, distressed surface. The result is "Supplicant." From the detail shot you can get a sense of the many layers that have been painted, drawn, sanded, dripped and glazed. I've started another panel in this series, and hope to have it completed and posted in about a week.

More Fragments

Speak IV, oil on paper, 3 x 3 inches

Speak III, oil on paper, 3 x 3 inches

Speak II, oil on paper, 3 x 3 inches

More fragments. I wonder how much of a person's face has to be shown for a piece to communicate as a portrait? I haven't thought of these as portraits, but maybe that's something I'll try next.

Overstep

Overstep, 14.5" x 22",oil on paper

Years ago my friend Alex inadvertently snapped a photo when her camera was pointed at the floor. I loved the result–a picture of her houndstooth skirt, black pumps and the tile floor she was standing on. Ten years later I still have that image in my mind, and I finally painted something similar. My feet, in my comfy old pink slippers, taking a tentative step over the edge.

Fragments

Listen, oil on paper, 3" x 3"

See II, oil on paper, 3" x 3"

Glee, oil on paper, 3" x 3"

I've been intrigued with working in a very small format (3" x 3") since finishing two pieces for the Think Small show in December. Composition becomes much more critical. I call these pieces "Fragments." I'll continue this series, but I'm also anxious to work with similar compositions in a much larger size. I'll be posting some "work in progress" photos soon.

String Art

A Banjo on My Knee, oil on panel with banjo mandolin parts

I finally finished "A Banjo on My Knee," my submission for the Richmond Symphony's String Art fundraiser. Participants could alter their instruments in any way, but I was so fascinated with the banjo mandolin I chose, that I didn't want to change it at all! My inspiration was a 1920's photo of a woman with her banjo. I took the instrument apart and decided to replace the body with a painted panel.

The 50 works of String Art will be auctioned off at a gala in October. The preview party is in September, and I can't wait to see the other 49 pieces.

Show Opening July 27

Verdant, oil on paper, 30"x22"

My show in the Skylight Gallery at Art Works will open on Friday, July 27 and run through August 17. The title of the show is "Verdant," and it will consist of 8-10 oil paintings of the figure. I'd like to say that all the pieces are completed and framed, but that's just not the case! I have a lot of work to complete in the next week.