Trials and Tribulations

I had an idea of what I wanted to do with this painting but I wasn’t sure if I could get the texture the way I wanted it. I used a large amount of sand in all the paint on the canvas. The sand helps to provide a very visual, almost tactile texture that is not quite like velvet. It makes people want to touch the painting to feel its texture. The photograph at the left really doesn't do the texture justice.

I have also incorporated some glass beads in the red and pinkish portions of the painting to provide some additional reflectivity of light.

The statement that I am trying to make with this painting is about the trials and tribulations of life. They are unavoidable. The dark portions represent the dark places in our spirits while the pinks, reds, and oranges represent various levels of positive every day occurrences. All of these things go together to make the texture of our lives. When in balance, as I believe this painting is, it makes a harmonious whole that is quite beautiful.

I hope you find the beauty in this painting and in your own lives. Let me know what you think.

Trials and Tribulations
Acrylic, Sand, and Glass
24” x 30”

Silver Light of the Moon

This painting was an experiment for me.

I wanted to bring out even more texture when I paint so I decided to mix the paint with sand.

In addition, I wanted to go lighter and use colors that were not bright nor as warm as what I usually use. Instead, I went for silver and a lot of white, yellows, and browns. Of course, I couldn’t resist a hint of red.

I am very satisfied with the result.

Rain on my Window 2

I recently completed a painting called Rain on my Window. I have started using acrylic paints in addition to oils and one of the things I totally love about acrylic is the ability to combine it with water to make the paint even more fluid.

This painting represents several firsts for me. It is my first painting on this scale. It is 7 feet wide by 4 feet tall. In addition, I painted it on wood. The truth is, I just could not face stretching a canvas across a frame at this size. While I know that some of my friends enjoy this part of the process, it does not warm my heart. I was very intrigued by painting on wood and I was curious at how well it could work at this size. Overall, I am very happy with the whole process and very contented with the result.

I hope you enjoy the result as much as I do.





Rain on My Window 2
Acrylic on Wood
7ft x 4ft

Textured Light

Perhaps always, I've been inspired by texture and I am focusing on it more and more. This latest work was a lot of fun for me to create. In addition to fairly strong colors which I love, I also was able to experiment some with additional media such as gravel and marble dust. This is the result which I am very happy with.

Textured Light

Acrylic, Gravel, and Marble Dust on Canvas

24" x 30"

It's a Mad World

At one time, when Monty Python was experimenting with a film, they found that after fifty-some minutes, the audience stopped laughing. Thinking it was their material, they changed the material but the end result was the same. The audience stopped laughing somewhere around 50 minutes and it even happened when Monty Python put the funnier materials at the last few minutes of the film. The fact is, people can laugh for only so long.

The attention span varies with age culminating in a maximum of about 20 minutes in the adult. Continuous attention, or the amount of time a human can focus on any object without any lapse of attention is very brief and may be as short as 8 seconds.

Personal space has changed through time varying with the boundaries of public and private spaces in European culture since the Roman Empire. It is a function not only of culture but also of population.

It’s a Mad World is a painting that is intended to be a high contrast painting. One that reflects the darker recesses of our minds, the things we are not conscious of but nevertheless have a profound impact on the way we live our daily lives.

I hope you share my wonder and enjoy this new work.

It's a Mad World

Acrylic on Canvas

24" x 30"