Koi

Koi   oil/wood panel   18 x 24 x 1.5

Paintings of Koi fish are not unusual.  In fact, a couple of artists are known for their large eloquent studies of their color and movement.  But my reason for painting this work was strictly sentimental.  This celebrates our son and daughter-in-law earlier in their relationship. 

Resolution of this work came very very slowly...partly because I worked on a gessoed wood panel, which is not my norm.  This surface responds completely differently to stroke-making, causing a bit of tension on my part.  And, I suppose, partially because there is a bit of a story here.  Most of my figures are "lost in space", allowing me to meander between the figure and the ground, eliminating much along the way.  But here, in this instance, when telling a story, the pieces must in more in tact.  I am satisfied.

Kids

Kids   oil/canvas   30 x 40 x 1.5

ARE THE BEST!   This painting was a joy to paint....from reference photos taken at a birthday celebration at COSI in Columbus shortly before Ohio's shelter-in-place began. Out of the many shots taken, this one in particular revealed the many personalities and energies of these kids...the bashful, the giddy, the superheroes. 

My goals were threefold:  to let the individual personalities express themselves; to sublimate the "likenesses" so that the group gesture would shine through; and to emphasize the counter-spaces between the figures to enhance the interconnectedness of the positives and negatives.

I am supremely happy with the outcome....makes me wish I were a kid again!

Bouquet Without Stems

Bouquet Without Stems   oil/canvas   12 x 12 x 1.5

was not a planned project.  Sometime in March, I started seeing lots of primrose plants in the stores.  Primroses are on my list of "poorly painted subjects from the past" that, eventually, I have plans to attempt again....along with swans and pumpkins.  And so, I laid a plan.  On the way to class, I stopped to pick up a primrose plant...three stores later, I was still being told that they had all died.  And so I ended up with one of those fairly nondescript bouquets that is a mix of lovely separates with no particular theme.  Attempts to put this bunch in any vase at the art center created a leaning, skinny bouquet with no rhythm.    Considering all of my options, I chose to paint each of the kinds separately on a flat two-dimensional, tile-like plane.

No stems.