No Escape

I've been painting alot lately. In the last month I think I've completed something like 25 paintings. Varying sizes, varying degrees of success IMO. I've come to one conclusion through it. There is simply no escaping who you are artistically. In my 15+ years as a professional illustrator/artist I've looked at alot of art. In fact recently I decided to stop looking at everyone elses art so I could get a clearer vision of what it was that I had to offer. Its so easy to get caught up in the idea of what the completed painting "should be", rather than what is. I think that for me one of the major distinctions between creating fine art and illustration is freedom. The freedom to choose not only subject matter and content, but the freedom to rest (or not, as is the case sometimes)with the result. In work for hire, the client almost always dictates the subject, the style and to some degree the final art.

Nature Boy Goes Happy.

I swear he is the happiest dog ever, especially when the day includes a trip to water. Any water. Big lake, little lake, muddy pond, swimming pool, yes even semi frozen water. The whining in the car started once we got to Spring Lake. By the time we got out of the car at Grand Haven, we were being dragged down the boardwalk full tilt towards the lake. When 4 paws and 80 pounds is determined there is not much that stops him, except the promise of a T-R-E-A-T.

Flower to the People

Have been working on a new series of paintings. Small floral studies. Motivated in part I think, by not being able to get outside and paint. So just to juice things up, decided to do some observational studies. Small, quick, not too fussy. I have probably 15 of these completed.

Snow be Gone for Good

Happy Spring, almost. Since tomorrow is the official changeover of the seasons! Am feeling like a broken record here but I am really ready for some warmer temperatures. At least warm enough to get outdoors and paint. I need another 10 degrees or so on top of the mid 30's we've been currently having. The two images I am posting today are what I call "do-overs". Both of these canvases had prior lives that I wasn't real fond of - so I painted directly over them. It was kind of fun to let some of the underpainting influence the new paintings. Both images are of Reed's Lake and done from digital reference, because it was too cold out.

Am working on a new series of paintings right now, that I hope to post if they ever dry!

Red Barns

There is something about barns in the landscape that has always fascinated me. Perhaps its the sense of connection, of being grounded to nature that the barn represents for me. Interestingly enough, the barn becomes part of the landscape, rather than an intrusion. (think McMansion planted squarely in a field and I think you'll know what I mean)

On another note; Bring on the spring! Am sick of painting indoors. Craig and I headed down to Saugatuck last weekend and spent a beautiful afternoon hiking through the State Park. Even though the sun was absolutely brilliant, it was about 24 degrees and with the wind off the lake, the wind chill was brutal! We spent about an hour and a half on the beach and hiking, but it took me about two days to warm up. Seriously.