Blog

Until early July, I will be quite busy with leaving my full time job, moving to Sonoma county, and then (yeah!) devoting more time to my art. Stay tuned.

A burst of energy is reflected in numerous new digital art pieces. One of the new portfolios is called Golden. More and more, I love to see light, especially warm light, shining through in my work. Odes to the sun, and to our inner lights as well.

Often I walk on a fire access road, made out of cinder blocks; this lets the grasses, and whatnot, poke through the holes. Tampered down by foot traffic, for the most part. I took photos of the humble road today, and used these in some new pieces. One is called "Along the cinder block road". Here it is, along with a detail of that piece.

A bit late for the first blog of 2015; a bit hectic. Nevertheless, numerous new digital art pieces were created recently. The piece called Touches of Antiquity (featured in December's blog) developed into other pieces that turned out to be more and more baroque in nature. So, that is my newest portfolio name: Baroque. Who would have thought?

End of another year; back to the beginning? After a while, the coming and going of years loses its significance, being that time really has little to do with the essences of life. The old and the new combine into today's images. Here is one image from what may be a "new" series called Touches of Antiquity.

My recent approach to drawing/digital art is intimately entwined with my photographs of things around me. To add and not detract from the photographs is the main challenge. I often draw via the computer directly on top of the photographs; the challenge being able to feel free enough with my hand while integrating the lines with the photo. The second part is not quite as hard, yet still requires astute sensitivity. It involves not over-doing the Photoshoping aspects. Here is a detail of one of the works, in the portfolio called Drawing on Surroundings. The original photo was a closeup of leaves on the pavement.

As the season deepens, fall is in full swing. The richness of autumn inspires. Combining my life-long love of leaves with digital art is the result. The photos of leaves are inside the digital art pieces, sometimes rather hidden.

As it turns out, one of my recent pieces reminds me of how it feels as we move into autumn. Its in the air; its in the shorter days. A layer has peeled away and the first hint of changing seasons is upon us.

Besides doing lots of symmetrical art, I have been re-visiting parts of old paintings. Taking images that stand out and highlighting them in new non-symmetrical digital art pieces. This one is simple and sensuous; very tactile.

One of my new digital art pieces is named "Glory", which just so happens to remind me of the motto of Arcata's wonderful Kinetic Sculpture Race every year: "For the Glory!" Rejoicing in life, and having fun.

Tafoni are rounded, lattice-like rock formations, such as the ones I saw recently at Salt Point State Park. They fascinate; they inspire; they jog the imagination. How they are formed is not completely understood, just like art. I combined a photograph of the tafoni into a digital art piece. The result is intriguing. Here is a detail example.

Two sides of the same coin; two in one; yin and yang; top and bottom; up and down; no matter how you cut it, there is an inherent unity. As they say, you can't have one without the other.
Throw in a bit of magnetism and imagination, and the result is a wonderful and dynamic moment.

What is this a picture of? Hints:
At night, the loved ones may be gone, but are not forgotten. Solar-powered night lights of all kinds, and of changing colors, put on a show.
Answer: I live near a cemetery and I love the way the dead are remembered.

Despite spending many hours at the computer doing digital art, I keep my hand in the more immediate media of painting. Nothing can substitute for this hands-on experience with a brush or palette knife as it plays with paint. The "muse" has a very direct connection this way; spontaneity is enhanced. This picture is a detail of a 20" x 20" painting, tentatively called "Between Two Half Moons". This particular creature is quite amusing to me, as if it were a goofball alien!

The digital art series that features black in a prominent way is now posted. I had written about this recently.
I have titled them; this however should not preclude the viewer from coming to their own interpretations. As always, my titles are not written in stone; they are only my personal tags.

Who knows what this year will bring. This new digital piece may end up in a series called "Dancers". This image looks to me like a fairly confident dancer who is not afraid to test the waters. One foot is touching the moving river of the moment; another is firmly grounded; all in one figure. Not to be afraid.

Art-to-come: as my Quatro series expands, I continue to create pieces in which black lines and forms are dominant. Very strong. Powerful.
Black really is beautiful.

When a pattern is detected by the brain, it easily accepts the visual input. This may be one reason why tile work is so appealing. It certainly is fun to create! This digital art piece is like tile work; a repetitive pattern that could go on and on.

When the world seems out of hand, I try to remember the specialness of us being here on this planet.

I recently posted a new digital art series: Meditations. The latest addition to this series is called "Expecting Nothing". It is the cheeriest of the series, so far. What does that say? That we have the happiest time when we least expect it?