Tulips With Plate (2008)

Oil on canvas, framed (16" x 20")

Executed from life and then finished from memory, this painting
attempts to capture the lights on the various surfaces: flowers,
plate, wooden butler's table, glass vase.

Profile in Charcoal (2008)

Charcoal on manila paper (18" x 24")

One of a series of the kids, I liked this one particularly for
the way the heavy lines and blank spaces together give the
impression of a strong light.

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.