The Reflecting Pool

The Butterfly Sojourn 

The butterfly was desperate to escape and find his way back to the prairie. As he struggled on, he caught a glimpse of light. 
“Its her!” he cried and flew faster. 
Dodging trees and slipping through the leaves, he saw that she was coming toward him. He called out to her. Something seems odd about the way she was moving. He dove toward the ground to meet her.

It was only his reflection in a pool of water.

cups and apples forever

cups and apples forever. 6x6, oil on paper

I painted this one late last night. I don't usually like to paint at night, but I had the chance to stay up late and so I brewed a pot of java and set to work. Part way through the piece I got into a debate with a friend via text message. Somehow I managed to finish the piece while making my case without getting paint all over my phone. Paint is always messy, but its gotten less messy as I've gone along. I can't say the same for politics.

Owl Attack

Here's another watercolor from The Butterfly Sojourn, along with the accompanying passage.


Suddenly, there was a great crash from above. The mouse cried out and tried to run, but a large owl grabbed him with its mighty talons. The owl screeched and flew into the night carrying the little brown mouse.

Flowers

Flowers II. 5x7, oil on paper

My wife brought home these flowers last week and I couldn't help but paint them. It had been awhile since I painted a floral arrangement and I thought it was time to test my skills. Flowers require a nuance that's difficult to achieve, much like portraiture. This was the second of seven paintings I created from this arrangement. I might post more in the future after I've photographed the rest of the set.

Ico

Ico. 5x7 oil on paper

I used the 3d printer (a lulzbot I believe) at the school to make this plastic icosahedron. It was for a electronic project from a little over a year ago. I kept the ico around because its a neat like object to have on a bookshelf. Maybe I should do a painting of all the platonic solids because they're really interesting to study.

Green Apples and Steel Cup

Green Apples and Steel Cup. 6x6 oil on canvas

I got a new set of rosemary brushes in this week and so far they are a pleasure to use. For this piece I used a set of long flats and a small sable for the details. I've been working on saturation and tone, trying to keep the brush strokes simple and the color intense. I also added some new work to my etsy shop, including this piece.

My Shop 

Canyon

Canyon. 8x8, acrylic monotype

Here's another monotype created with the gelatin plate. I love the color palette in this one as well as the narrative quality. Its fun to let the mind play while going through the work, searching for meaning within the shapes and colors. I like to make up stories based on some of them.

On a technical note, the white edges around some of the shapes were created because the paper cut-out I used was too thick. Rolling over the back of the print won't create enough pressure to absorb the paint and so the white paper shows through. If the paper cut-out is very thick, even a press won't work and the print will still have these lines. Of course they're not always a negative thing. I quite like having them here.

The Black Triangle

The Black Triangle. 15x11, oil on paper
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This piece was made using a monotype technique that I learned at university from professor Kimberly Dummons. I first coated some paper in wax and then cut out various shapes from it. Painting the shapes, I created designs on a plastic sheet. The last step is to run them through the etching press.

The Spider in the Web

Here's another illustration from The Butterfly Sojourn. The butterfly and spider were painted with watercolors while the background is painted in black acrylic. This technique creates a strong contrast that can heighten the drama in a composition.

Bananas

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Cool Bananas. 6x6, oil on paper

Bananas are always fun to paint. They're fun to eat as well so they never last long around my place. I ran out of cadmium yellow pale before painting these, so I had to make do with cadmium yellow medium, which leans towards orange. I think it worked out pretty well, or at least the overall palette is pleasing enough.

Croissant and Berries

Croissant and Berries. 6x6, oil on paper

My wife bought some of these delicious croissant and I couldn't resist painting one. I promptly ate it afterwards, after washing my hands of course. I want take a moment to give a shout out to Rosemary and Co. I ordered some new brushes from them last night. They make excellent tools for an incredible price. I bought a set from them two years ago and they're still going strong.

The Butterfly Sojourn

I was reorganizing my studio when I came across these illustrations I did a few years ago for a short story I wrote about a butterfly. There are ten of them altogether. I remember being dissatisfied with them at the time, but I guess they weren't so bad.

Here's the full story: The Butterfly Sojourn.

Water Glass and Orange Slice

Water glass with orange slice. 6x6, oil on paper

So I made some changes to my set up this week. First, I acquired some Utrecht brand oil paints. I've been using Winsor Newton brand oil paint for several years, but now I can finally afford an upgrade. I also upgraded to Gamblin Gamsol odorless mineral spirits. Turpenoid has been my go to brand since college, but Gamsol is clearly superior. This is one of the first paintings I did with my new materials and I was pleased with the results.

The Volcano

the volcano. acrylic montoype

This print was from a batch I did a few months ago. It was created with a gelatin print technique. I recently made a "permanent" gelatin plate by adding glycerine to my mixture. This plate doesn't need to be refrigerated and also has an extended lifetime. I did a series of island prints with variations of these colors. I'll share some more of these in the future.

Howl

Howl. Acrylic Monotype

Bird of Paradise

Bird of Paradise. Acrylic gelatin print.

Gelatin printing is an excellent technique for making low cost prints from your house. I've been using the technique for a little over six months and love the results. For those of you whom, like myself, enjoy the spontaneity of monotype printmaking, gelatin printing is great solution to the lack of access to an expensive etching press.

Willowspring in Autumn

Willowspring in Autumn. 7.5x11, oil on paper

I painted this at a nearby park last autumn. I was attracted to the shape of the mountains and the trees in the foreground. This is one of my favorite spots for plein air painting. Several people approached me while I was working on this one, including a young man and his children who wanted to watch me paint "like Bob Ross."