Two small drawings from the Sunday session:

The model had some beautiful poses this time. Unfortunately my drawings didn't come quite close enough to doing her justice. I'll have to work on pushing the value range a bit next time and let us not forget about the shadow edge!

couple more year old paintings:

Secret, a question

Through Deer Canyon, 69x73", oil on canvas

Each of these paintings was done in the same semester in two separate concentrated studies courses. One in concentrated studies in figure painting the other in abstract painting. Not much of a difference between the two you say? I rest my case. Besides, at any given point why should one be trying to divide one's work. regardless of whether pieces appear similar or foreign, they are part of a continuous body of work. The thought process may yield different compositions or manifest in various modes of working but it is a singular process.

still got it:

I haven't drawn in a model session for I don't know how long. Good to find that the figure is still a beautiful and intoxicating subject. I don't know if I'll be able to make it to many Sunday sessions these days, but I'll be there if I can. The community there is too important to me to miss that opportunity.

First skeptically finished painting in a great while, (and a sketch):

Approaching the curb, 30x40", oil on canvas

Orange Crossing, 34x41", charcoal/conte on paper

The painting on top is in a really good place. I'm not sure if that means it's finished exactly; it still needs to rest. The composition is from what I'm calling the stabbing party which was out in Long Beach some months back. on the bottom is a fairly quick drawing from a photo of a rail crossing near the Orange circle. It was such a beautiful photo to begin with that I'll really have to work to wring a decent piece out of the reference.

two sketchs:

guitarist sketch, approx. 3x4 ft., conte/charcoal on paper

2 palms sketch, 16x20, oil on canvas

I finally have some current work to show, even if they're not exactly finished projects. The drawing on top will probably end up as a step on the way to a painting or maybe another drawn version. Its drawn on that super cheap contractors paper which actually makes a pretty good neutral tone ground for conte crayon. The little painting on the bottom is a quick sketch from my backyard. My white is polymerizing in the can and getting really stringy and chunky. I'll have to do more quick ones like this to get my money's worth before the paint goes bad completely.

yet another round of recent-ish work:

"Canary" 67x44", oil on canvas

"DWP" 64x75", oil on canvas

"from the pier" 48x60", oil on canvas

"The bend, afternoon" 52x60, oil on canvas

The first of these three was grown from an arbitrary under-painting. The imagery just built up and familiar themes started to take shape in the work; the moon/sun orb, a birdlike figure. In the next two, I deliberately tried to make paintings with no top or bottom or with both and a shared horizon. In the end space tended to break down more than functioning but the experiment was worthwhile. In other drawings (to be posted later) the concept worked much better. The last is an older piece I had considered to be failed or unfinished. I still don't consider it complete but I've entirely changed my mind as to it's status as a failed painting. It just needed a long rest.

Three more drawings

"Mesa 2, visitors"  40x32", charcoal and pastel on paper

"Mesa 1" 32x40", charcoal and pastel on paper

"Canal 4, berm" 32x40", charcoal and pastel on paper

These three are from an older series of drawings that were done in the Bolsa Chica wetlands. The idea was to spend the night drawing from the landscape with only the available light to work under. When the moon was full the task was a bit easier, though when it was dark or cloudy the results were often more interesting. The experience alone was worth the effort. After a few hours alone and quietly drawing, the local residents became much more comfortable with my presence...

Four pieces of back-logged work:

"Catastrophe", 30x24"  oil on canvas

"Looking up out of spite", 34x30"  oil on canvas

"Perseids Over Silverado", 24x30" oil on canvas 

"Three Moons", 24x30"  oil on canvas

I've been meaning to shoot my recent work for sometime now. It's come to a point where the work isn't really recent at all. However, as the purpose of this blog is to build a visual log or portfolio both for myself and anyone who cares to follow my work, I figure it's high time to get the work up and out of the dusty corner it's been occupying and put it to some use. Many of these works haven't had eyes lain on them at all for quite a few months and I'm rather pleased that a few seem to have matured well. I may continue work on some but they are all at least at a stage where I'm comfortable showing them. One of these four pieces has already left my hands for greener pastures in which case I'm glad I took the time to document it when I did months ago. It's a good argument for documenting my work even in progress.