Tag: Art

When I was a teen I used to go on walks with my sister and dad before school. We lived in a swamp along a major highway. The road always had non-stop traffic during the day but we would set off around 5 am. At that time the only folks that were out were semi drivers and crazy hikers. There were also a lot of creatures. One that we became familiar with was a beaver that lived in the ditch. In the swampy lowland area the ditches were always full of water. That ditch was more like a creek. The beaver would welcome us when we got to its area and then it would swim through the ditch for a mile and half poking its head up once and awhile as though to show us it was still with us. When we would turn around and head home the beaver would typically turn around with us. The beaver may have been following us on our morning hike or we may have been following it on it’s morning swim, either way I thought that dude was amazing.

At 5 in the morning we could look up and see the stars and the milky way in the deep blue of the sky. It was an incredible sight and feeling. Especially for an angsty teen who dreamed of exploring and conquering the world.

This piece explores life and the interconnection of sky and water. It portrays the feeling I get when surrounded by all three. The color of the sky fits my memory of those early mornings over my swamp home. I hope when you look at this piece you feel the longing to conquer your world. I also hope you feel the security of knowing that you are not alone. We are all swimming through this cosmic masterpiece, humans and non-humans alike.

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This piece started as a commission. The person who intended to order it never finished up their order. I usually wait some time after a commission falls through to finish up the piece. I picked this one up again in hopes to turn it in for a juried exhibit. Things have been so hectic with work and such so I was not able to get it done in time. I finished it up today and could not love it more.  The energy and thing I learned from finishing up this piece really spoke to me. It seems I picked this piece back up at the right time.

Aqueous Life

11″ x 14″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.
You can purchase the original here and you can purchase a print here.

Lynx on the Moon

5″ x 5″ acrylic on canvas panel.
You can purchase the original here and you can purchase a print here.

The other night the moon was this gorgeous, ginormous, orb hanging right above the earth. I was running errands in town with my honey, Cassidy. As we drove around I was able to see the the beauty from all these different angles and parking lots. As we drove home we drove towards the moon as it slowly rose in a pink-purple sky. Spring moons are so BIG and spring sunsets are so sweet. The brown-green forests pair so well with the vibrant colors of the sunset. Driving towards that big orb in it's vibrant landscape was like a metaphor for winter changing into spring.

This piece is just a paint doodle - a practice of technique and weird ideas. However it kind if became an exploration of the feelings of wildness and wonder that comes with those last few grasps of winter cold and snow. While I worked on this piece the 1'-2' of snow in my yard melted and the grass greened up, huge puddles formed and cars got stuck. Then, just as the last of the puddles soaked into the ground, a snowstorm hit and were walking in a wintry scene once again. Of course it only lasted a short while. Now, a week later all the snow is gone. I worked on this piece whenever I had a free moment over that time.

Currently my work is mostly exploring water as I prepare for a few entries for local calls for art. The lynx on the moon was a fun way to focus on the sky.

On a separate note - I finished my latest newsletter! It is published and sent out. You can read it here if you would like, and then go ahead and subscribe. My newsletters are a good outlet for the thoughts and inner workings that influence my work so if you are interested in that stuff you may find it a fun read.

Life is neat because we all just get to do our own thing. Sometimes folks like to look in and give their opinions and that’s alright, it is often a sign of affection. As humans in this world we should be open to communication, but we also should feel comfortable enough in our own skin to take what applies and leave the rest.

This piece is about that feeling of critics stepping in and saying something that did not need to be said. You know, when you stand there and you wonder “What’s the point?”

A few years ago I was looking at a sweet piece of art hanging in a gallery. It was abstract and by my standards of color and composition it was technically good, I certainly liked it. As I stood looking at the piece I was approached by another person who stood beside me and we began to chat about the piece. The person (well, let's call them the critic) was full of opinions and they made it obvious they were not fond of the work. The critic was listing off reasons why this piece was not actually technically good, and I listened even though I believed them to be inaccurate. The critic felt comfortable enough to tell me that the work did not deserve to be shown in the gallery space. I listened, and I spoke up a bit, but really I was just waiting for the critic to finish up so I could move onto the next piece since I was finding the experience was becoming less and less enjoyable. Nearing the end of the conversation the critic informed me that they were actually friends with this artist, they knew them quite well in fact. I was weirded out by the disdain the critic felt towards their friends trade.

This conversation and experience was so minor, and honestly it should have left my mind years ago. It had little to no bearing on my life. However, sometimes when I am looking at my own art I hear that critic speaking about their friend and I wonder what was the critics point?

It is a curious thing how the critic can show up when we are enjoying something and tells us why we should not. I think it is important to insist upon fact rather than opinion. Like I said, life is neat because we all just get to do our own thing. Don’t let the in-affectionate critic tell you you can’t hang in the gallery, let the gallery tell you that. And If the gallery tells you that you can’t hang there than find out why and let the facts have sway over your actions. Or don’t. Their point may or may not be valid either.

In Mr. Hendrix’s words “I've got my own life to live, I'm the one that's going to have to die when it's time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.”

What's the Point?

11″ x 14″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.
You can purchase the original here and you can purchase a print here.

Who doesn't love a fluffy bear? This little dude is a young panda which is why the fur is slightly  bedraggled and why his visions are so dreamy.

I am exploring whimsy in some new ways as of late. The butterflies and hoops in this piece were inspired by Dr. Seuss. I added them in around his birthday (March 2nd) and was quite uncertain about them, but upon reflection I like the weird flow that the butterflies and hoops created. I am sure this concept will be explored more in depth in coming works of art.

This piece is a mini piece, 4" x 6" canvas panel. It is truly a paint doodle (a cute one 🙂

Young Panda

4″ x 6″ acrylic on canvas panel.
You can purchase the original here.

0°

4″ x 6″ acrylic on canvas panel.
You can purchase prints of it here.

 

 

I am currently painting a large barred owl in a summery scene so this paint doodle was created as a study of owl faces. It was good fun and much needed practice. Feathers are like hair but they aren't actually fur so a little additional practice of the fine white feathers was super helpful. This piece is also reminiscent of the pink / purple of freezing sunsets.

The thermometer has been staying right around the 0° mark here in Northern Minnesota because of the polar vortex. The chill gets to the walls and the fingers but that is fine as long as I have another log to toss on the fire and the cars start. Staying in and painting on these days is kind of required. Though I have to go outside often as a person in a newly built home with a wood stove Cassidy and I did try to build up the wood stacks near the house and shovel the main paths before the cold snap. This means I don't have to go far and I am free to sit and paint when I am not doing my day job. All this painting time causes me to get restless of my larger pieces so paint doodles really help keep the artistic spirit fresh.

This piece already sold so I will be sending it out the door next week. I hope it brings some warm vibes to the new owner because the polar vortex certainly will not (until Friday when it will be a hair above 0°). I am holding out till Saturday when it will be a balmy 25° 🙂