Painting a Symphony?

Sometimes, I think making  a painting is a bit like conducting a symphony orchestra. You say to yourself – maybe a touch of orange over here. Then let’s bring up the violins a bit. Tympani, but subtle, soft. You don’t want to drown out the melody, just pull it up a little.  A tiny bit of yellow, but not too bright. The brightness goes just here, in this spot.

Reminds me of that Sondheim song from Sunday in the Park With George

Bit by bit, putting it together
Piece by piece, only way to make a work of art
Every moment makes a contribution
Every little detail plays a part
Having just a vision’s no solution
Everything depends on execution
Putting it together
That’s what counts

I took a lot of time with this one – just like Stephen said. A wide flat brush, lots of medium, dab here, sweep across there. And here it is – Alpine Symphony. Let me know what you think.

Alpine Symphony, Acrylic, 20 x 20

Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope, Acrylic/Mixed Media, 20 x 16

Sometimes my hands start itching, telling me I need to paint, but I don’t have any particular composition in mind. When that happens, I squeeze some paint on the palette and trust that the colors themselves will tell me what to do. I just ‘go with the flow’ and let the paint do its thing. After a while, an image begins to take shape. That’s when I can step in and gently nudge it in the right direction. The result? A kaleidoscope of color, sparkling on a beautiful fall day.

Painting Color and Texture

Sculpture in Gray, Acrylic, 24 x 20

Maybe you’ve noticed–I love color. I love how different colors play off each other, sometimes soft and soothing (analogous colors), sometimes bright and jarring (complimentary colors). I often combine my colors with various mediums to create texture on the canvas, too. But for “Sculpture in Gray,” I decided to try something different. To begin, I just glopped on a pile of black and white paint loosely mixed with fiber paste and started spreading it around with a large palette knife. The painting sort of took off on its own from there. I glopped on more paint, dribbled on some silver, sprinkled a little glitter and–voila!

At first glance, you might think it’s just a gray painting, but as you look at it, you notice the swirls and layers, the shadows and lights, and you begin to lose yourself in the richness of the painting. I’ve been studying it in my studio for about a month now, wondering if I need to add any of my signature colors or maybe some defined shapes. But I’ve decided I love it just the way it is. Minimalism has certainly been around since at least mid-twentieth century, but now I find myself appreciating it much more deeply than I ever have before.

New Small Paintings

I love working in a small, 12 x 12 format. It forces me to really think about what I want my painting to say, because the small space doesn’t lend itself to a lot of miscellaneous flourishes. Here are a few pieces I’ve done in the past few months. By the way, Facebook has somehow removed my page (and no–I haven’t been posting anything horrible!), and I’ve decided to just let it go, so if you have a comment, please post it here on WordPress, or just contact me directly. The pieces here are all 12 x 12, Acrylic and mixed media, framed and ready for display.

Inspiration
Midnight Dream
Oh, Happy Days!

Abstract Expressions, ca. 2021

My paintings and designs have been taking a whimsical turn for a while now, using a variety of different paints and applicators. Here I’ve used the marvelous Golden Fluid Acrylics, plus a variety of paint markers, to see what would happen if I just let ‘the spirit move me.’ My three most recent results say go with the flow and enjoy! Framed very simply, & ready to brighten up a corner of your room.

Another Page Turns

I love doing demos. Give me a brush and some paints and I’m ready to go.

So January is nearly at an end and we’ve made it over the hump of another Chicago winter. It’s downhill from here–all the way into Spring. It’s been an interesting month for me, with my paintings on exhibit at 4 different venues: Sugar Grove Library, Studios 630 at National University for the Health Sciences, Lisle Library, and Caffe di Moda (Lisle). Then there was the author event last night at the Frugal Muse Book Store in Darien. So much fun! We had 5 authors and a musician (sounds like a movie title, doesn’t it?), readings, discussions, food and a big thank you to all who helped make the evening a success. But all good things must come to an end, and it’s time to look forward to next steps.

Other exhibits are in the offing and I’m still in the process of writing my next book, working title: Time Warp: a Love Story. (I’m thinking of changing it. What do you think about Sparkle Like Stars?)

Onward and upward, and here’s to February!

Whimsy

A definition of “whimsy” is “playfully quaint or fanciful.” I think that aptly describes this collection of small paintings, on display at the Lisle Library now through the end of January. I’ve been having a great time creating them, using the simplest objects around the house or just my imagination as the starting point for designing the various bright and colorful compositions.

The Lisle Library, 777 Front Street, Lisle, will be hosting a reception on Saturday, December 7th, from 2 to 3:30 pm. Refreshments will be offered. So mark your calendars and hope to see many of you there.

Studios 630 Reception 10/17

Join us on Sunday, October 27 for the Studios 630 Fine Art Show Artist Reception, 3 – 5 p.m. at National University of Health Sciences, Roosevelt at Highland, Lombard (Clinic Building B). Refreshments will be served. Come meet the artists and enjoy the exhibit of fine art in the gallery.

Now Showing–Caffe di Moda

I’m excited to announce that some of my Fruitful Relationship paintings are currently on exhibit at the Caffe di Moda, 1012 Burlington, Lisle (right across from the Lisle Train station, Main & Burlington). The cafe is beautiful, the food is delicious and as an extra bonus, you get to see some gorgeous original paintings by some of the members of Studio 630. Be sure to stop by soon.

Girlfriends, oil, 12 x 24, $190.00