In this project, the Lake Zurich Performing Arts Center was a sterile and spare environment with dramatic form, but lacked sufficient color and life. I took inspiration from the color of the lighting in the space and chose to emphasize that while bringing additional color and drama to the space with a five panel piece that would lead people into the space and balance the weight of the theater entrance across the lobby. This untitled piece has added an organic and natural element. The panoramic orientation creates emphasis on perspective and leads the eye toward the the light of the entrance.
Contemporary architecture is clean lines and right angles. There are few gradient shadings and design elements that soften and set a more mellow tone. The addition of color, gradient shading and curves transforms the mood of the space. Here at the Meridien Fairway in Dubai, the Presidential Suite is given extra flair with Sun Time And Tide, a panoramic painting evoking rocks and water.
Final painting on canvas: Wave Action
acrylic on canvas 55×55 inches on 3 inch gallery wrap.
First Sketch and digital rendering.
This new painting titled The Secret Life Of Minerals is acrylic on canvas and measures 50 x 60 inches on a 3 inch gallery wrapped frame.
The blue I’m using is ultramarine blue, but I can feel that this is only the underlayer for some really rich contouring. The 3D feel of the pieces I do tend to excite my imagination, create stories of the history of the work, and spur me forward. Lets see where this leads…
I’m feeling more and more like something about Latex is notable. The blue pigment mixed in so quickly, and spread so beautifully. I’m wondering where I can purchase more. The stuff I’m using now is a 20 year old unopened can of white latex paint. I love the smell of it, the workability, the texture. Stay tuned.
I’m experimenting with using actual latex paint, from the original non synthetic formula instead of the regular acrylic that I’ve become accustomed to. I find it to be very silky and spreadable. It looks as though it dries with a more flexible body and stretchable texture, which is an improvement on the acrylic polymer stuff. It will be interesting to see how this will work out.
About the painting itself, I’m excited and loving the use of red, coral/salmon, and light pink, which is a departure from the colors I normally use. It will be interesting to see the contrast with blue and black that I intend. Stay Tuned!
It’s always challenging to bring to life a new painting that heads in a different or new direction or breaks new ground for me. I wonder if people will respond or react to the new look, the use of new materials or techniques. I wonder how the piece will look with the other work I have completed. Will there be a cohesive flow or logical visual progression to the work that will make sense in an exhibit of a collection of pieces. Doubts and questions abound. The irony is that I can be so excited to begin, to explore, to experiment and have a new piece take shape. The rush of creation is like nothing else in nature or even artificial substances! The biggest revelation to me has been that I can doubt and create simultaneously. My self expression is not diminished by fear and uncertainty, and in fact, the fear and uncertainty can bring a new and contributing influence. I love that this is so.
This new piece is inspired in part by witnessing my mother’s recent challenges and hospitalization. It had me contemplating life, conception, and the miracle of life. Something so timeless and yet so precarious is taking place every moment. How can humanity be so unique in the world and yet the process of life so similar to other life forms? Designing a painting that addresses this was exciting, and I can’t wait to see it take shape. I’m inviting you to travel through the process with me, and welcome your feedback and comments.
This is a small pencil drawing of a painting on canvas that will be roughly 30×40 inches.
This piece is one I’ve been working on for the past couple of weeks. I’m really happy with the results of my first canvas in a very long time. The paint on this canvas was applied in very thin layers, one on top of another to create a very rich effect with many colors visible in every square inch of the piece. It measures 30×44 inches. See the work in progress by scrolling down to the previous blog!
This piece has not been named. More info to come.
I’m revisiting a more traditional painting technique, using stretched canvas. It’s the first time since high school that I’ve stretched my own canvas. I’m also working with a more traditional ratio of vertical to horizontal and not panorama this time. Here in these photos you see the progression so far on the painting.
Forms take shape, and lines start to have less of a flat look.
Adding shading starts to help me decide where the forms rest, and how to create believable depth. SCROLL DOWN.
Adding texture and more depth will allow for the next step of adding elemental reality, in this case water.
Now I'm able to start adding the depth of water, and its refractive light effects. I start getting very drawn into the piece now. I get to imagine the way the water would move over the rock forms. More to come!
One more day, This piece is really coming together…next step will be the element of REFLECTIVITY.
Thanks to the magic of photoshop I’m illustrating my vision of bringing my paintings to large public spaces. I am currently pursuing commissions to produce large mural sized installations for hotels, residential buildings, corporate headquarters and other large indoor public spaces. My work can have the effect of graceful curves or the pop of bright color. It can evoke the feeling of Zen-like tranquility or the excitement of being in a festive location or an exciting international destination. The panoramic orientation of many of my pieces also make large spaces feel larger and a grand entrance feel even more grand.
Currently I'm also exploring how different and new lighting technology can be incorporated into the art. I like the idea of blurring the line between structural design, lighting and infrastructure, with the actual work itself. Why not have a painting enhance a 40 ft pillar? Who says a painting can't frame a window? Structure becomes art becomes structure. Originally my work in the panoramic format stemmed from feeling constrained by the usual ratios of vertical and horizontal. It all seemed very prefab. I wanted to evoke the emotional response that we have to seeing the horizon. We see the horizon and often feel awe, or wonderment, and the feeling of wide open spaces, the feeling of breathing freely. I love the idea of bringing these emotions to the sometimes cold or industrial spaces normally constrained by their very size. If we enter a building with a grand lobby, we can have that dwarfing feeling of being insignificant or just out of scale. Art that instead brings a feeling of freedom and wonderment leaves that insignificance behind.
The Westin Resort at Playa Bonita in Panama has a restaurant called Tierra y Fuego that screams for my painting River And Wildfire.
The Meridian Fairway in Dubai's lobby area was begging for curves. This painting of mine adds a cool but colorful accent for anyone coming in from the 100 degree heat.
