Couple/Polar Opposites/hard::soft/Roses in Aluminum

Couple   oil/canvas board   12 x 12

This small painting is a metaphor for all things yin::yang in our lives.  My idea was to create shared space between the two roses...a relationship merged yet individual. 

One of my passions is to eliminate the unnecessary edges which represent fences that block the movement of the pieces/parts.  Because all of these operations are so subjective and so personal, I spent a good deal of time on a sketch that solved (hopefully) potential errors and helped to convey my feelings.  In the past, I have found that the division of space in square formats to be a challenge. In this case, it worked out......

There is much that pleases me here...right down to the simple limited palette.

In addition, the opposition of the quintessentially beautiful roses with the aluminum can completes me.

Heartland ll

Heartland II - Winter Cows (A Sense of Calm Given the Situation)   oil on canvas   16 x 20

This painting represents a long journey and much endurance, much like these local bovines, although robust, must face daily in our severe northeast Ohio winter.  Everything seemed to be an issue....the treeline, too much then too little; the placement of the cows and their relationship, one to the other; and, most importantly, the atmosphere of the snowy field, which I felt would be comprised by using local color.  Each problem was eventually solved to my satisfaction.

The one huge thrill in all of the labor:  the introduction of Gamblin's Cold Was Medium, that was mixed into paint in both the back- and fore-ground.  It produced an impasto effect that was much lighter than using gobs of paint, and even more effective, I think.  Used in a 1/3:2/3 ratio with paint) My first use....terrific!

Ah.....if I had only labored over a sketch.  That would have been time well spent.