Blogging on 2/22/11
For the last 30 years I have been focused
on photography. All the different things I have done in that field are listed on the navigation bar on the home page.
There was a voice in my head that kept telling me to try another art form- in effect, to see if I could translate my talent
in photography to another medium. Painting seemed to be calling me. I rented a studio, bought the canvases, paints, brushes
etc. and went to it.
The work was divided into two different approaches- one was painting on the easel and the
other was action painting. One was very slow and methodical, the other fast and loose.
Most of my paintings which
are on this site were done in the action style. The easel is in the corner gathering dust. I like the speed and immediacy
of the action painting. It's always very exciting and the paintings do have a life of their own. With just about every
painting, I start out with a definite idea and then the painting usually goes in its own direction.
I have been
greatly influenced by Jackson Pollock. There was a time when I didn't "get" his paintings but one day while
standing in front of one of them, I realized that they are beautiful in and of themselves. They don't have to mean or
say something although many of them do.
Early on with the action paintngs, I created one that I call "Autumn."
A fellow artist suggested that I do the other 3 seasons and I have all four seasons posted. Also, I like the little miracles
that happen in the studio. For instance, the mountains that were created in the "Winter" painting and the butterfly
that appeared quite unintentionally in the "Spring" painting. Then I was fortunate enough to start a series called
"Celestial Light." You can view these as well. I am a very spiritual person and feel that the world needs light
of any kind now and this series makes me happy.
Sometimes I find myself creating a painting that is in my opinion
just beautiful with no statement or message but at other times the title of the piece is very important as in these three
paintings posted-
"Light descending upon a troubled world"
"The World is crying"
"Birth of a new world"
I like these three a lot.
My latest painting posted is the
one titled "Celestial Light #6."
I have finished one today that I will call "Celestial Light #7"
if it dries the way I'd like it to dry. I often dilute the acrylics and they look a little different when dry than wet.
I'll post it soon.
email if you have time. Email link at bottom.
Thanks.
Blogging on 3/2/11
I have posted 3 new paintings-
#1
is titled "The Way Through." I really like this piece. It can be rotated 90 degrees to the left and takes on a whole
new perspective. I was working with fluorescents for a while and decided to leave them for a while and use the basic acrylic
colors. I think it turned out nicely.
#2 is titled "Rainbow
Cavern." I like this piece as well. It is subtler and more delicate than some of the other cavern pieces.
#3
is titled "Black & White Canyon." When I tire of so many colors, I retreat into B&W and it is a joy to work
with only the two. I will always go back to B&W as I had done years of B&W photography including countless hours of
darkroom work. B&W is striking and elegant.
Email if you have time. Link at bottom of page.
Thanks.
Blogging on 3/5/11
Just created the painting "Celestial Flame"
today and I really love it. I think it's one of my best. It is first one on the painting's page. I decided
to just work with white, a darker blue and a mixture of raw sienna and a chrome yellow which gave me a beautiful gold. I was
working with the piece for a while and wasn't liking where it was going in general. I liked half of the canvas but not
the other half and suddenly as so often happens, I see that with just a little manipulation the painting comes together
and is finished.
Email if you have time.
Thanks
Blogging 4/1/2011
I've been
busy. Have added three new paintings. They are "Earth Light" ( I love that title) and the earth needs plenty of
light now, "Southwest" a friend who saw it said it looked like a caramel sundae! Ha! Puts me into good company with
Jackson Pollock who someone said one of his paintings looked like baked macaroni and "Autumn Day." I'm really
amazed at the differences in my paintings. I am constantly seeking to do something new and refreshing. With "Earth Light"
I wanted to use just three colors- bright yellow, blue and bright green and I think I succeeded in getting something I am
happy with.
Email if you have time.
Thanks
Blogging 8/22/2011
It's been a
while since I blogged last. Been busy painting and traveling seeing some nice drives in California, Oregon and Washington.
Also, had a nice win- I was accepted into the Art Fusion Gallery in the Miami Design District where many of my paintings
are currently being shown.
Recently, I have changed the size of my canvases. I was painting on 18"x 24"
but now use 30"x 40" and I love this new size.
I also have 8 new paintings up on the site that I am really
excited about and I have put them up in the "Paintings #1" section.
"The Fires of Heaven" may
be my best painting. I just love looking at it and it is getting very good response. I used about 15 different colors in it
and it all came together nicely. And I love the title.
"New World" is another favorite of mine. Just
a few colors but I think they work very well together.
"Sunrise" is also quite nice. Reminded me of the
shimmering you sometimes see on the water in a harbor early in the morning.
"Zen Water" works well in
the horizontal mode. Someone commented that it looks like realism bordering on abstract. I like that take.
"Swimmers"
also works well in the horizontal. I originally titled it "White Caps" but think "Swimmers" captures it
best and I really love that blue that I mixed.
"Let there be Light" is soft and subtle and so beautiful.
I like the fact that the light is not overpowering but just starting to break thru.
"Yellow Submarine"
is my most fanciful painting. It was a gas doing it. I feel it's well over the top and really the only name I could think
of was "Yellow Submarine."
"Celestial Light #5" is getting a lot of very positive response.
People say that they like the fact that the black space offsets the brilliant yellows and reds.
Well, there it
is for now.
Email if you have time.
Thank you!
Blogging on 10/6/11
I have recently
painted two very exciting canvases. There are located in "Paintings #1" at the top. One is titled "Celestial
Light #1" and the other "The Firmament." They are both 30x40. I think that this new work "Celestial Light
#1" is my best piece to date or at least in my top 3. I just love looking at it.
At my gallery Art Fusion
in the Miami Design District, I will be there Saturday 10/8/11 in the evening from 7-11 for an artist's reception to open
the show that runs for the next two and a half months. I have 7- 30x40s hanging. The openings are a lot of fun, the hip
and well dressed people of Miami really come out and I look forward to being there.
Email if you have time.
Thanks!
Blogging 10/9/11
Just returned from the Art Fusion Gallery in the Miami Design District
where I attended my artist's opening reception for the new quarterly show running until 12/21. I have posted a photo
of me with my work in "Paintings #1."The weather wasn't cooperating but there was still a nice turnout. It is
a beautiful gallery with very upbeat art. From 12/1-12/4 in Miami is the annual Art Basel International Contemporary Art show.
It's held in Basel, Switzerland as well as Miami and Los Angles. It's called the "Olympics of the Art World."
I feel fortunate that I am in this gallery at this important time as I will have international art lovers viewing my work.
Never know who is going to see the work and what will come of it.
Now, back to painting in Maryland!
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if you have time.
Thanks.
Blogging on 12/17/11
Have added 2 new paintings in section "Paintings
#1." The first is titled "Surfacing" and I really like it a lot. Feel it is in my top 5 or 10. Lots of movement.
The second is the piece titled "Clown Laundry" which is on my home page as well as in "Paintings #1." This
piece took a long time as painting within the lines was a chore but worthwhile upon completion. These were times while painting
it when I thought that I wouldn't get the colors right- too much of this color and not enought of that one- and thoughts
that I wouldn't be able to tell if there were enough colors or too many but it all worked out. For this piece, I
had fun mixing up a lime green, a pink, a nice medium blue and a teal and they all added to the overall outrageousness of
the piece. I love the zany title and feel this is what it might look like at a circus if indeed clowns were to do their laundry
and hang it to dry. Again, I feel that this piece is in my top 10. I think this is going to be the start of a series
that looks a bit like this one. It's fun and very upbeat.
Email if you have time.
Thanks
Blogging on 2/8/12
I've just finished and loaded in "Paintings #1" the piece "Meltdown at
a Crayon Factory." I love this piece. It's kind of a offshoot of the last piece "Clown Laundry." This
kind of painting for me is much slower and more methodical than most of my other paintings. I love tossing so many colors
together and still have it work as a whole. I added the brown color toward the end thinking it wouldn't fit in but now
I feel it adds something to balance off all the brighter colors.
Email if you have time.
Thanks
John
