First of many?

Well, here it is!  My first official 'new' piece!  I'm feeling pretty good about it, but there are still (rather strong) pangs of uncertainty?  sadness?  nostalgia??  when I look at my 'old' paintings compared to this one.  Still clearly a very strong Hopper influence, and my colors are still bold.  But something else just seems.....missing.  I tell myself that it is the anger that is missing.  No doubt my old works had an angry, in-your-face quality to them.  I am so much happier than I was in my early 20s.

And of course there is the size.  As much as I would love to paint lifesize (or nearly so) that is just not feasible anymore. 

But I wonder/worry there is something else missing.   Is my voice gone?  Or is it just different? 
Anyway, decide for yourself, 'cause here it is:

While my old work was undeniably about me, my inspiration now comes from the people and the land that surround me.  I came from here -- so I guess it's about me too -- but yet I'm a bit of an outsider looking in.  Sort of.  But it's an interesting, beautiful view, nonetheless...

"Sunday Drive"  oil on canvas, 24"x 36"  2011

Bad mood + time in studio painting = MUCH better mood :)

I didn't think anything was going to cure my cruddy mood today, but I guess there's nothing that a few hours painting won't fix :)  The smell of oil and turpentine, Dar Williams on the shuffle, and a new painting nearly done.  Nice way to end a Saturday.

Here's a pic of my most recently finished painting (no, not the one I was working on today - I'm still not 100% that one is complete).  This is a sweet little thing I painted a few months ago just to work out all the cobwebs and get used to moving paint around on canvas again.  Turned out better than I thought for a practice run and I kinda like it.  Much smaller than my old work, but I think that is something I'm going to have to get used to (5 foot x 7 foot paintings just don't make sense they way they seemed to in college when all the materials were free and I didn't have to plan ahead to where they would actually go once I was done!)

Enjoy!  Happy weekend :)

                                              "Swimming" oil on canvas, 2010, 16" x 12.5"

Work is hanging!

Well, I've managed to get some pieces on the walls.  Hurray!  They are (somewhat) sorted by collections and can be viewed by checking out the pages listed down the right.  So far everything on the walls are older works -- the new stuff will be coming.  And details about each will be added bit by bit (sizes, media, etc).  Enjoy! :)

Hi!

Well, I'm just getting started with this whole blog thing.  Still have a lot of work to do -- pages to put up with old art, postings to create about new art (and recent inspirations), and (hopefully) announcements about shows.  But for now, the walls in the studio are pretty bare.  Hang in there while I get my hands dirty setting things up.