Sculpture

Having little time to work with sculptural process, I focused on creating a clay bust of a fellow teacher. This was quite a learning process, and really forced me to concentrate on my knowledge of anatomy and proportion. This picture demonstrates to problems I was having with differential drying properties of the clay I was using.

Ongoing Studies

I have been working on a series of large paintings over the past two years. The series has been a result of my interest and study of contemporary and traditional painting.

This painting is called "Before the Performance, #41". It was made with using latex enamel and acrylic paint on canvas. It is 65"x65". I had been doing a lot of drawings from pottery found in the middle east at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I was really into the calligraphic art style of Islam. It also shows the influence that Elizabeth Murry has on me right now!

These two paintings I are from around the same a spot in East Matunuck RI. I paintied the first one on location. I did the other using preleminary sketches and creating in the studio. I am actually trying to become a more capable studio painter. I love being outside, but lack the time to get out, set up, and start painting. So now I am trying to find myself as a studio artist.

Figure Drawing Show

I was part of an exhibit of figurative artwork with a couple of colleagues here in Eastern Connecticut. WE have all worked hard on their studies of the figure, so we had an excellent show as a result. We have met religiously for years and really have a nice body overall. Above, are are a couple of samples of my work. I range in media and style as I explore the different aspects of dealing with figurative work.

Figure Drawing

I draw from the Figure pretty religiously at least once a week. I get together with a group of talented artists from the Windham CT at Eastern CT State University. We share the expense of hiring a model and also share ideas and information. We just took down a show at the Windham Arts Collaborative (a fine gallery). I had about 15 pieces up. The hard part of all of this is fitting in the time. Drawing from the figure is fun, but also wearing. Due to the late hours of concentration and focus, it all takes it's toll the next morning, when I am trying to get up and going for work.



This is my latest work. I just bought a bunch of colors from Utrecht (I like their acrylics). I try to explore different aspects of the drawing from the model and also use the time to try out new or different types of materials. On this painting I am going back to the technique of massing in and structuring the figure through color.

Trip to Madison Wisconsin

These sketches are from the Strings Festival in Madison Wisconsin. My neices were on violin and chello!




Hanging out between flights. Nothing to do but draw my plane being prepared for flight.

One of the things I do quite often is keep a travel log. No matter where I go, I typically keep a sketch book, pens, and watercolor kit on me. I try to sketch as often as possible while traveling. This keeps a personal account of where I have been, what I notice, and also helps to keep my drawing skills sharp.

Boat Yards

I have been working on a series of paintings and drawings from the sea side area of Matunuck RI. I love the different aspects of life on the ocean there. I tend to find myself hanging around boat repair yards alot. I am inserting a few selected ink drawings I have done in hopes that I will be able to develop them into paintings.

What is on my easel

I am hoping this blog will help me to evaluate and make decisions while creating artwork. I love the process of creating. Art is a divergent process for me. The initiation, setting up problems, working out methods is what I am most attracted to. I tend to concentrate on those aspects of artwork, and ignore the finished piece. I typically finish something (roughly), throw it in a corner to collect dust and then move onto the next piece. I am now thinking I need to put more effort in to the finishing of a piece, also be more concerned with the presentation of the work.

I have set a few rules for myself over the past couple of years. For example, the rule might be a time limit, or types of colors I use. Once, I had a rule about never using white, so to force my ability to mix values with color rather than just mixing in white. Right now, I am working with a goal to create at least one painting per week.

This Lighthouse painting is what is on my easel today. I have been working from sketches and reference pictures I created over the summer from one of my favorite New England spots; Matunuck RI.

I will be taking down a figure drawing show I helped to organize and put up at the Windham Arts Collaborative. I will post a few of these drawings once I get some pictures of them.

Setting up

After doing some research, I found the work on the other artist blogger pages so inspirational, I thought I should try one on my own. I hope this will help me organize my thoughts as I go through the process of developing my goals as an artist.

For me, developing myself as an artist has been a long and inexact process. I have always felt that it was a great honor to be considered an artist. To get there, has meant a lot of hard work and focus. Through this blog, I hope to give my students a sense of what it means to be an artist and the process we go through as we chase our muses.