Personally speaking.

Although I am not where I want to be in my portraiture work, I do have a passion for the face. As a photographer, people were my topic of choice. As a sculptor maskmaking was my most invested time in creation. Thus in painting and drawing if given the chance I would choose working with a model over still life any time.

Developing a body of work.

    Like most artists, I like to work in series and take one element (technique, subject, material...) and string the similaity through a collection of work. Sometimes they develope so well that they become full fledge bodies of work and perhaps find venues to exhibit for solo shows ( "Darkroom Dancing", "Twist of Fate", "Person, Place, Thing") More often they end up a good challenge or lesson and never show together as a group. These two still life pieces "Mask on red" (one of  3 drawings from this set up ) and  "Shell under glass" are 2 out of 7 drawings that formulate the combat of black charcoal and white chalk against red paper.

Windmill, 2nd cousin to the lighthouse.

So if lighthouses guard the seascapes does than make windmills sentry to tulip gardens? In the 2012 first paint out of my plein air season "Wooden Shoe Farm" (9"x12"- above) seems to have the tractor stopped in the field of yellow at the peak of thier blooming season. In contrast "Windmill at Groozen Gaarde" (9"x12"- below) was painted just after the month long festival had ended. Although the gardens still had plenty of color one might guess by the less emphasis focused on the tulips.  

A moment of greatness

Plein air painting is supposed to be an event of capturing an all inspiring moment of an ever changing environment. At times the artist has a chance to fiddle with the layout or composition as they wait for the light to come into play but basically the light changes so quickly that the reality of being true to the scene may only be valid 10-20 minutes at the most.
   In this 9"x12" oil painting "Morning moment on long lake" I had spent the 1st 30-40 minutes casually laying out the consistant values of a quiet overcast morning in hopes for the marine layer to burn off. Then the lighting considerably ramped down to an ominous darkness, held for a curious 30 seconds and opened up to this unbelievable hollywood moment of perfect light. It was so dramatic that I almost forgot why I was standing there.

Blast from the past

   Although not a current work, "Raven's Boots" (24"x24") is worth mentioning for it's sheer merit earned as one of the paintings I most enjoyed. I had loved these well loved treasures (boots) from the first time I met Raven at Art Students League in Manhattan. Although the model was a beautifull person in his own right, it was his boots that sang to me the richness of capturing a persona beyond inspiration and within the first 5 minutes of getting to know him, I had no reserves of telling him, "I want to paint your boots!"
   2 years later and probably more than 100 hours of working with him as my muse and getting to know him between sessions, he casually mentioned how he needed to move the strappings on to his new boots. I reminded him of our 1st conversation insisting that he let me paint his old boots before he transfer accessories to the new pair. With an understanding for the artist's momment of inspiration, Raven removed the studded collar from around his neck, put it in the box with the old boots and handed it to me with a smile saying, "Keep it as long as you need." 4 weekends later I returned the box of collar and boots with a smile feeling quite happy for having given up my one day off a week all month in exchange for what I felt was my best work yet.

What drives inspiration?

   In the dead of winter, an artist must often dig a little deeper to keep themselves from falling asleep at the easel. In my case I took my easel (plein air gear actually) on location to a retirement living facility this year where I discovered this beautifully restored Kiblinger. I had the honor of painting a few consecutive sessions with my model on a 12"x16" gessoboard which kicked my artistic drive up another gear for my return to Studio-G.

Going, going, gone!

   This work "The Power of Three" is a multi technique piece incorporating printmaking (silkscreen) with drawing (pen & ink) with painting (ink wash). It was created on handmade paper (daphanie) with a finished size of 26"x36". Although it was completed in February of 2012 it went to auction in Seattle at the begining of this month.

So it begins.

 While working in Manhattan 12 hours a day, 5 days a week and occassional weekends, I sought any excuse possible to get outside. Thus began my commitment to 'scaping. With limited landscape oppertunity, I instead learned to appreciate the beautifull architectural bridges of central park or ornate detail on churches and historical structures. One weekend I was invited to Roosevelt island as a result of my interest in lighthouses which led to a summer's worth of watercolor studies repeatedly seeking places where the historical sentry watches over the sea. Never quite satisfied with the medium of watercolor, I thought to paint with oil, begining with the lighthouse in Gig Harbor resulting in these two plein air works. GHLH#1- 6"x12" (above) and GHLH#2-9"x12" (below) completed in 2011.

     Although I enjoy an adventurous summer outdoors doing plein air studies, the 'scapin' includes both landscape and cityscapes with my favored lighthouses bridging somewhere in between.

Welcome!

   Greetings and welcome to Studio-G. Often times I have been asked, "Where can I see your work?" Thus is my effort to have an online location to view my artwork, I have created this blog to post previews, completed studies and various other transitional pieces that are either sold, currently unavailable or will not be represented formally. Please contact me if you have any questions or further interest in the works or process in which it was created. Artwork soon to follow.Thank you for stopping into Studio-G.