From Dad to Brookes

From Dad to Brookes
Oil on Canvas
42 inches x 78 inches
2006

I did this painting soon after me and Carrie bought the farm that I was raised in. It is meant to show the relationship between my father, Dan, and my stepson, Brookes and how they are connected through me and the farm. Dad died 3 years before I ever met Brookes so they never knew each other. I try to give the sense of the past in the vignette of my parents in the background along with the aerial view of the farm at the time they purchased it in 1962. The house in the midground is how it appeared when we bought it from the estate. I use the placement of the figures eyes to tell the story: Mom is looking at Dad which shows the unity they shared through the hard times to keep the farm and pay it off. Dad is looking towards Brookes as the future inheritor of the property. While both Carrie and I engage the viewer directly with our gaze, it is with very different content. My gaze is of uneasy protective watchfulness. I step to the side allowing the viewer to come in, but only so far. My left eye is on the viewer but it is proportionally too large for my face, emphasizing it's watchfulness. Carrie's smiling eyes are an invitation to the viewer to behold the life we now have and the family she is so proud of. Only Brookes does not directly look to a given figure. He is staring past his parents, as we all must do at some point, to his own place in the world yet knowing that this farm will always be some part of him as well.

Comments please!

The Sideshow II was a fantastic experience. A great mix of many different genres of art and expression. Here's a photo of me at my wall:(Photo courtesy of Sabrina Pryor)

Today's Woman

Today's Woman

6 x 8 inches
collage, ink, stencil, oil paint
2006

This small piece was created with a dual purpose. I wanted to try some different techniques plus make a bit of a statement concerning media manipulation of body image especially as it applies to the middle aged woman. The base image was created by cutting out a stencil of the image and using a toothbrush in higgins black magic ink to 'spray' the graphic on top of a masonite panel that I had prepared by using acrylic transfer of newsprint. This was then addressed with additional ink and some oil paint touches to add a hint of life to the stylized image.

The Sideshow II !

Mark your calendar! You won't want to miss this one. Come out for Urban Nights and stay for the sideshow. This is a benefit for the Circus Creative Collective. A wonderful group of creative spirits involved with art in it's many forms. Check our their website at: daytoncircus

Rosie Does It

Rosie Does It
22 x 28 inches
Oil on canvas
2007

This work may or may not be finished. Originally I had intended to put a tat on Rosie's buff bicep. I had a thunderbolt in mind, like those used on the A-10 thunderbolt anti-tank aircraft. Upon reflection. I believe that the tattoo would not add any meaning or interest to this work. Please respond with your thoughts on this.

Present Tense

Present Tense

Oil on Canvas
30 x 34 inches
2007

This painting is in response to a photo that I ran across from a news story of a church sponsored book burning. The book burning was not from last century or nazi Germany but from here in the USA and only 3 years ago! I couldn't beleive what I was seeing and I felt the need to further document this event with this painting. The smoky text in the background is in German and roughly translates as: ' when we begin burning books, next we will be burning people'. This line is from a German play from 1821. I find the timeline of this poem, the nazi bookburnings on the 1930's-40's and the book burnings sponsored by today's religeous extremists to be very disturbing. Some of the books featured in the painting are Flowers in the Attic , Grapes of Wrath, Catcher in the Rye, Fahrenheit 451, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Daddy's New Roommate, and Lord of the Flies. All of these books have been banned at one time or another.

Mail Art Entry

Mail Art Entry

Surprise Inside!
6 x 8 inches
collage on board
2007

This is an entry created for a mail art exhibit at Ripple Cafe in Nottingham, England. Mail Art or Correspondence Art was created by Ray Johnson, a protege of Andy Warhol, in the 1970's. To learn more about Ray's work, check my links under favorite artists.

This piece is meant to say something about the world I live in. From the local to the global. The types of things I would want to know about someone from another continent. Just everyday life type of things that affect the man on the street.

To participate in this project, mail your contribution to:

Ripple
577 Mansfield Rd.
Sherwood
Nottingham
NG5 2JN
England UK

To view other works in their collection, check our their blog at: www.ripplecafescrapbook.blogspot.com

Iconoclash

For the first piece I'll post here, I chose a painting that I did for my Painting 223 class at Sinclair Community College for Spring 2007 quarter.




Iconoclash
30 x 40 inches
acrylic, oil pastel, spray paint and collage on canvas
2007

With this piece, I chose to represent a group of iconic images in either unfamiliar or disconcerting ways. The group of smileys with one in cross-hairs of a scoped weapon, the gingham checkerboard tablecloth with poison emblems, a representation of Edvard Munch's painting but in cheery colors. These elements plus the addition of non representational colors and contrasting color blocks are employed to aid in creating a sense of confusion for the viewer. This is further unified by the overlying symbol of the Anarchist 'A' used to frame the elements. This framing is not readily apparent as a design element in it's own right as it is overpowered by the individual elements.

Any comments are welcome and any critiques are greatly appreciated!

Welcome to my blog!

Hi, folks! Just wanted to say hello to the world as an intro to me finally moving into the internet age and starting my own art blog.