Oftentimes when a painting is sold and shipped to it’s new owners homes, I don’t get an opportunity to see how it looks on their wall. Recently I’ve been getting pictures from the art collectors and I wanted to share.
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Challenging myself…
Before my recent accident I had just finished this 60 x 48“ underwater fantasy. Working this large is challenging because there’s so much more physicality in creating it and my studio is rather small…so critiquing and analyzing as I paint is difficult. I use two large easels during the process. It also takes a lot more time.
when I work on something like this it’s rather organic and how things are placed in the scene. First I put in the rocks and the coral. I started adding sea turtle and the various fish. Each fish or coral was chalked in, moved, and imagined before paint was added. Color combinations were considered as I progressed. I wanted the viewers gaze to flow around like the swirling currents.
With the thoughtful placement of various sea life, I am happy with the result, keeping it impressionistic.
Underwater Reef paintings
The recent commission for Tracey and Bill of the underwater fantasy, is not a new thing for me. I used to dive and remember the wonder of the reefs… the colors and the variety of fish and aquatic life.
Under the Sea
One of the commissions I worked on this summer was an underwater scene a couple in Palm Valley. I had to build a canvas from scratch because it was an odd size 60”x 28”. I haven’t stretched for years because I usually buy them pre-stretched it was a lot more work than I expected or remembered.
Tracy and Bill have been so lovely to me over the years and I was happy to create this last commission for them. During the process I took it over to see how it looked with her furniture and then added more teal and little touches a beige.
Ocean wave series
during Covid this summer and staying home I’ve had a lot of time to explore different ideas in my art. I started getting up before sunrise, scootering to the beach and watching a sunrise with a girlfriend or two. …and sometimes swimming.
The mornings that the water was calm was super magical. To be swimming in the ocean with the sky the same color as the reflection on the top of the water felt like we were floating on clouds. so I’ve been working on the inspiration of trying to create paintings that reflect that experience. I also discovered that our water color in North Florida is not blue but has tones of greens and brown.
I will continue with this collection as soon as I am able. If you or someone you know would like to put a little salt air on their walls, just ask. Thanks so very much.
Pause
Nearly 2 weeks ago I was at a stoplight on my scooter and hit by a car so I am laid up for the next couple months with a broken knee. Tibia plateau fracture.
Salt Water Paintings
New opportunity
Yesterday, I drove down to Ormond by the Sea in Florida to meet the owner of a shop called The Salty Mermaid. Penny will be selling my mermaid art and prints.
Artist Interview
interview for an upcoming international art show. ..virtual
Show is called “Where the Wild Women Go”
warning. its long. 8 min.
Mermaid transforms
After months of letting this painting rest, I decided to dive back in and create more detail in the undersea background. Also I was not happy with this asian siren’s tail so changed it. Adding seaweed and fish gave “Dorian” a more interesting finish.
Originally I wanted her to be surrounded in darkness since she is in the deeper waters.
A friend of mine who is a clay artist remarked that it’s so cool that you can keep changing a painting whereas once a piece of clay has been fired it’s done. This painting is 48 x 36″. acrylic , gallery wrap. 
