Vienna Street Scene (2008)

Oil on canvas (12" x 16")

A small painting, almost a sketch, of a street scene from
Vienna photographed by my wife while she was over there.
I did not use a ruler or straightedge but I think managed
to convey the diminishing perspective and angularity of
the buildings nonetheless.

The Great Forest (2008)

Oil on canvas (22" x 28")

Another try at the theme of small children in the big woods,
this time on a larger scale than Into The Woods. The colours
are not as rich and deep but I like the grand sweep of the
trees and the way they dwarf the figures of the children while
at the same time drawing our eye to them.

Reading In Bed (2007)

Charcoal on newsprint (14" x 18")

Out of hundreds of quick sketches maybe one or two will have
a life and coherence that makes them worth preserving - this
is one of those, in my opinion.

Waiting (2007)

Oil on canvas (16" x 20")

My wife posed for this painting, depicting a woman looking
out of her dark room into the light of morning, or perhaps
a bright streetlight, waiting for something. Or maybe
just looking out the window as she ponders something else
entirely.

Friesia Jungle

Oil on canvas (16" x 20")

A loose painting of a bouquet of friesia, taken from part of
a photograph. I like the way the friesia fill the painting
right to the edge, and the strong diagonal lines made by
the blossoms and the negative spaces between them.

The Golden Apple

Oil on canvas (12" x 24")

A somewhat abstract representation of the story of Paris
and the golden apple from Greek mythology, this painting
was completed in just two manic sessions. I started with
no sketch or plan, just an idea of how I wanted to
represent this meeting of gods and men. I am pleased
with the result but haven't been inspired to do one
like this since.

The Morning After

Oil on canvas (20" x 30")

I liked the tranquility of this bedroom scene, and the
contrast of the bright warm sunlight with the cool
shadows beneath the bed and the bathrobe.

Crantini (2007)

Coloured pencil and charcoal on coated paper (8.5" x 11")

I loved the look of the light coming through the red of the
crantini and glass, so I took a picture and created this.
The drink and glass are coloured pencil, while the black
background is charcoal, mostly because it is faster than
using a coloured pencil to fill in the whole page. I
like the overall effect and the way the drink seems to glow.

Boots (2007)

Charcoal on coated paper (8.5" x 11")

A relatively quick charcoal sketch of a pair of leather boots
standing in a corner. I especially like the highlights on
the heel, giving the impression of the shiny surface of leather.

Banana (2007)

Coloured pencil on coated paper (8.5" x 11")

This is a coloured pencil drawing of a real live banana, executed at
the kitchen table while the kids were drawing their own things. I
started with a value drawing just using a brown coloured pencil and
then started layering the yellows, greens, blues and oranges that
make up the final composition. I also used a lot of white pencil
crayon to "burnish" the colors, that is, meld them together and
fill the texture of the paper for a smoother look.

Tap Dancer (2007)

Charcoal on coated paper (8.5" x 11")

Another quick sketch with charcoal on coated paper.
This one is from a photo I found while surfing
Flickr's interesting photos.

Adjusting her Boot (2007)

Charcoal on tinted paper (8.5" x 11")

A simple study for a painting I hope to do later, there
was no model for this one, just an idea. But I think it
came out surprisingly well for all that.

Tulips (2007)

Charcoal on tinted paper (12" x 16")

Man, do I love this one! It was a quick sketch, half an hour, with a
stick of charcoal, an eraser and a cloth. The tulips were in a vase
on the counter, luckily just at their peak (today the petals are falling
all over the place). Everything just worked. Makes up for some of
the disasters I had when I tried out conté crayon a few weeks ago.

Laughing (2007)

Charcoal on tinted paper (8.5" x 11")

For this sketch from a photo taken last summer I tried something
different, a technique I read about in a book by Douglas Graves.
The paper is covered lightly with charcoal and then the areas of
shadow are gradually darkened and the lighter areas are erased,
either with a cloth or the kneaded eraser. It was quite quick and
fairly easy to do. I used charcoal sticks instead of a compressed
charcoal pencil so the charcoal was drier and easier to take off
the paper (too easy, sometimes, as I kept accidentally rubbing off
what I had just done). I will stick with this technique for a
while and see how it goes.

Dad (2006)

Oil on canvas (16" x 20")

A painting from a photo executed for my mother on the anniversary
of my father's passing. I was surprised at how the artistic process
took over from the emotional reaction while I was painting this -
I was able to see it as a work of art without being overwhelmed by
the personal associations. I compare it with the first portrait I
ever did and am pleased to see that I have learned many things and
am developing my own style.

Woman In Profile (2007)

Charcoal on tinted paper (8.5" x 11")

Drawn from a photo. I was very happy with this one as I knew
exactly when to stop, for once. Usually I try to add more shading
and end up working it to death. Here I achieved the resemblance
and feeling I wanted, then quit.

Reclining Nude (2007)

Charcoal on tinted paper (8.5" x 11")

My first nude from life, and next time I will use bigger paper. I'm
not unhappy with the results but there was more detail I would have
liked to convey, but with charcoal you can only get so fine a line.

Two Carnations (2007)

Charcoal on tinted paper (8.5" x 11")

A couple of carnations, sketched from life like mad as the sun crossed
the sky and the light started changing. I had to quit when both
flowers were in shade. The left one came out a bit flat but the right
was all right. It taught me the value of doing the big things first,
at any rate.

On Vacation (2006)

Red chalk on paper (12" x 16")

A first try at a chalk portrait, from a photo taken on vacation last
summer. The photo is a bit blurry but gets the point across. I was
quite happy with the figure but would do less shading in the
background in the next one.