My latest painting, which measures around 4’ high by 14’ wide (framed), will be completed in early June, 2010.
This painting was based on two earlier, smaller studies; the first completed in time for the Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Arts 2008 Salon International competition, and the second completed in 2009.
My inspiration for creating a large panoramic storm painting that would fill a viewer's peripheral vision, started back in early 2008. While I was driving down Ecorse Road in Allen Park Michigan, I spotted an attractive cloud formation over a grocery store. I decided right then and there to park my car in their parking lot and shoot some reference photos. I knew right away that I had the perfect references for a unique painting.
A month after manipulating these photos on the computer, correcting color, contrast and composition, I was ready to start painting my first small study later that year. Based on the results of that first study, I decided to create a larger version, but with more intense colors and contrast the year after. In November 2009, a friend of mine suggested that I should enter the ArtPrize 2010, based on the success ArtPrize had that fall. I decided that December, that I would create a much larger version of the two previous studies for this competition, except I would use a milder palette in order to create a more contemplative mood to this work.
Arranging time to paint throughout the holiday season, during my company's annual “busy season," while maintaining family time, and also researching venues to exhibit my work has been a daunting task these past few months! In the end, I have chosen LaFontsee Galleries/Underground Studio to exhibit my work because of the spacious and professional appearance of their main galleries.
Dates for event are September 22 thru October 11th. Please visit www.artprize.org for more details
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, February 28, 2008
A Lasting Impression
I visit museums and galleries on a regular basis and sometimes a particular work of interest will influence one of my paintings several years down the road. Here is one instance where a museum painting has influenced one of recent paintings.
In October, 2002, I visited the "Degas and the Dance" exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and was struck by the brilliant orange color of one of the last paintings in the exhibition called "Dancers at the Bar," from the Philips collection.
I enjoyed the simple subject matter and brilliant colors of this painting and always thought it would be nice to paint something similar to it some day. One summer evening in 2007, I was taken by the brilliant colors that were illuminating across a group of clouds at dusk. That experience inspired to paint my Amber Series, and devote one of
those paintings, Amber Series #4, to the orange color palette of that
Degas painting that I had seen years earlier.
In October, 2002, I visited the "Degas and the Dance" exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, and was struck by the brilliant orange color of one of the last paintings in the exhibition called "Dancers at the Bar," from the Philips collection.
I enjoyed the simple subject matter and brilliant colors of this painting and always thought it would be nice to paint something similar to it some day. One summer evening in 2007, I was taken by the brilliant colors that were illuminating across a group of clouds at dusk. That experience inspired to paint my Amber Series, and devote one of
those paintings, Amber Series #4, to the orange color palette of that
Degas painting that I had seen years earlier.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Why an Amber Series?
While studying various cloud formations one evening, I witnessed a spectacular show of changing colors. I watched the monochromatic color tones of some cumulus clouds change from cool and warm gray to a kaleidoscope of creamy yellow, violet, pumpkin orange and salmon pink within a 15 minute time frame. I was impressed how the dark sky of an approaching storm was transformed within minutes to a canopy of glowing colors that created for me another unworldly experience to observe. I enjoyed the abstract patterns and color
that was enveloping before me and decided that this specific moment was worthy of its own series of studies.
Within my most recent amber paintings, I decided to crop in on my subject to reveal the most intensified color areas of undulating forms. I have enjoyed the impact of the various compositions and color combinations I have been working on this past year and look forward to creating other paintings within this field.
I also look forward to applying what I have learned about color combinations in creating new grayish paintings in 2008.
that was enveloping before me and decided that this specific moment was worthy of its own series of studies.
Within my most recent amber paintings, I decided to crop in on my subject to reveal the most intensified color areas of undulating forms. I have enjoyed the impact of the various compositions and color combinations I have been working on this past year and look forward to creating other paintings within this field.
I also look forward to applying what I have learned about color combinations in creating new grayish paintings in 2008.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Painting From Memory
Sometimes I have to rely on my memory when creating a painting, rather then relying on physical references.
A couple of weeks ago my brother and his wife urged me to take a look at a moody sky they just spotted while driving home. Their description sounded intriguing so I drove off to a parking lot to take a look. It was around
7 p.m. when I looked toward the west and observed some very dark and slightly lighter cloud formations tinted with warm and cool purples. This grouping of storm clouds was juxtaposed with creamy streaks of open sky. The sky looked surreal. It was one of those moments when the sky didn’t look like a sky at all, but rather a design.
Because it was so late, I couldn't expect my camera to record the subtle color conditions I was experiencing nor could I sketch anything effective enough in the dark. So I stood there for 15 minutes watching the sky fade away into darkness. Later on that evening I recorded my experienced and made some small oil studies.
I enjoyed the simplicity and mood of this fleeting moment and plan on painting some variations of it in 2008.
A couple of weeks ago my brother and his wife urged me to take a look at a moody sky they just spotted while driving home. Their description sounded intriguing so I drove off to a parking lot to take a look. It was around
7 p.m. when I looked toward the west and observed some very dark and slightly lighter cloud formations tinted with warm and cool purples. This grouping of storm clouds was juxtaposed with creamy streaks of open sky. The sky looked surreal. It was one of those moments when the sky didn’t look like a sky at all, but rather a design.
Because it was so late, I couldn't expect my camera to record the subtle color conditions I was experiencing nor could I sketch anything effective enough in the dark. So I stood there for 15 minutes watching the sky fade away into darkness. Later on that evening I recorded my experienced and made some small oil studies.
I enjoyed the simplicity and mood of this fleeting moment and plan on painting some variations of it in 2008.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Making Time for Creating Art
Usually, when people find out that I have a full-time job as an exhibit designer, three young kids, and a wife, they will ask me how I find time to paint. I simply tell them that I rarely get a full night's sleep.
Every weekday, I get up and paint for an hour and a half before getting ready for work. On weekends, I get up early and paint about 5 hours each day.
I realized that in order to have quality time with my family in the evening, I had to schedule as much painting time as I could handle every morning.
The formula behind my daily drive for painting is discipline and passion.
Every weekday, I get up and paint for an hour and a half before getting ready for work. On weekends, I get up early and paint about 5 hours each day.
I realized that in order to have quality time with my family in the evening, I had to schedule as much painting time as I could handle every morning.
The formula behind my daily drive for painting is discipline and passion.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
A Little About Me
Art has changed my life.
I believe I was born to be an artist. There has never been a time when I haven't been creating art. In fact, when I was in the first grade, I prayed that I would grow up to be an artist; that desire has never changed.
I remember a few years later when a teacher asked me to fill out a career interest form. The form was divided into five different entries, arranged in hierarchy from your top choice to your last choice. I stated I wanted to become:
All throughout grade school I received great encouragement from my teachers as they would often parade me and my art around to every classroom in my school showing off my latest achievement.
My father has also played an important roll in my artistic development. He worked as a printer for American Motors and would often bring home colored pencils, drafting tools and supplies to keep me busy creating art. He would also make hundreds of copies of my work for me to sell around the neighborhood as a way to purchase other art supplies.
My family also liked visiting museums. After my first visit to the Detroit Institute of Arts, I knew I wanted to become a painter (I was 9 years old).
My second year at Henry Fold Community Collage marked the next important phase in my artistic development. I attended a 101 art history class, taught by Wendy Evans, that made me realize that I needed to learn more about the lives of different artists and the history of art. She opened a whole new world of inspiration for me that has influenced my work.
My HFCC experience was topped off when I met my future wife in February 1991,
and earned a European scholarship later on that same year. With my future wife, I started visiting museums and attending special exhibitions on a regular basis, and made two more trips to Europe that lasted a month each. My wife's opinion today is that she has seen every
painting that has even been made!
After graduating from Wayne State University, in 1994, I decided to devote more time to painting. Even though I have been creating artwork all of my life, it wasn't until recently that I decided to exhibit my work in galleries. I wanted to be sure that I had refined a particular style of painting that would capture the lighting effects and mood of an approaching storm. I have always enjoyed the stormy quality of 17th century Dutch landscape paintings, and decided that I wanted to create paintings that focused on the cloud forms themselves. Narrowing down my subject to somber colors, contrast and form, has given me my artistic inspiration for a series of paintings that will keep me busy for years to come.
I believe I was born to be an artist. There has never been a time when I haven't been creating art. In fact, when I was in the first grade, I prayed that I would grow up to be an artist; that desire has never changed.
I remember a few years later when a teacher asked me to fill out a career interest form. The form was divided into five different entries, arranged in hierarchy from your top choice to your last choice. I stated I wanted to become:
- an artist
- a better artist
- an even better artist
- a really good artist
- a great artist
All throughout grade school I received great encouragement from my teachers as they would often parade me and my art around to every classroom in my school showing off my latest achievement.
My father has also played an important roll in my artistic development. He worked as a printer for American Motors and would often bring home colored pencils, drafting tools and supplies to keep me busy creating art. He would also make hundreds of copies of my work for me to sell around the neighborhood as a way to purchase other art supplies.
My family also liked visiting museums. After my first visit to the Detroit Institute of Arts, I knew I wanted to become a painter (I was 9 years old).
My second year at Henry Fold Community Collage marked the next important phase in my artistic development. I attended a 101 art history class, taught by Wendy Evans, that made me realize that I needed to learn more about the lives of different artists and the history of art. She opened a whole new world of inspiration for me that has influenced my work.
My HFCC experience was topped off when I met my future wife in February 1991,
and earned a European scholarship later on that same year. With my future wife, I started visiting museums and attending special exhibitions on a regular basis, and made two more trips to Europe that lasted a month each. My wife's opinion today is that she has seen every
painting that has even been made!
After graduating from Wayne State University, in 1994, I decided to devote more time to painting. Even though I have been creating artwork all of my life, it wasn't until recently that I decided to exhibit my work in galleries. I wanted to be sure that I had refined a particular style of painting that would capture the lighting effects and mood of an approaching storm. I have always enjoyed the stormy quality of 17th century Dutch landscape paintings, and decided that I wanted to create paintings that focused on the cloud forms themselves. Narrowing down my subject to somber colors, contrast and form, has given me my artistic inspiration for a series of paintings that will keep me busy for years to come.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)