Studio Reflections

“The world today doesn’t make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?” – Pablo Picasso The rate of change in modern life, starting with the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, has continued to increase. The world began to be filled with more things, coming at a faster and faster rate, and the…

I read something recently about abstract art that intrigued me – it described such work as that which would otherwise exist only in the mind. In other words, it doesn’t contain any element that is recognizable as existing in nature, or the “external” world. This work becomes intensely personal as a result, in some cases…

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” – Scott Adams I’ve been continuing to explore my interest in monoprinting. So far, these are all fairly small (6×6″) pieces done using hand tools only (no big presses). One of the things I find most appealing about the process is…

“Every good painter paints what he is.” – Jackson Pollack My friend Gayle raised some eloquent and thoughtful points in my last posting so I thought I’d continue the thread a little more. I am most grateful for such contributions as they make me think more about things I do not understand – such as…

“Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.” – Edgar Degas Another monoprint from last weekends workshop. I started doing some more of these miniature pieces last night at home and found them somehow less interesting than what I did last weekend. It was frustrating. Why is it that…

“Abstract art is a product of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered.” – Al Kapp Last weekend I went to Mendocino, CA for a 2 day workshop in monoprinting. It was a new and exhilarating experience for me and I found that I took to the medium happily. It satisfies my…

When I complete a piece that speaks to me, I find a feeling of introspection settles over me. Often the subject matter itself reflects that inner state as well. Is the work a projection of my feelings and thoughts, or does it cause those very ruminations to occur. I thinks when a piece “feels right”…

There are a number of wonderful apple orchards nearby (though they’re rapidly being replaced by a better “cash” crop, namely grapes). Apple trees have very different personalities in each season, from the vibrant blossoms of spring to the bare austerity of winter. The latter is a look I particularly like. Trees denuded of their fruit…

In addition to photography, I also have done some painting in recent years, mainly pastels, but also some acrylics. I really like the textural capabilities of both of these mediums. This piece is a recent effort in mixed media collage. I started with a background made using acrylics, soft and oil pastels and tissue paper.…