A Palette

Personally I like to see behind the scenes regarding other artists' working methods & so forth. So, in the interest of sharing information, here is a palette I've been using recently for the Revelation series of paintings (posts below). It's a simple orange paper plate—we have a stack of them in the kitchen cupboard. They're cheap & disposable, & I don't find that the bright orange distracts from the other colors, for some reason. It's kind of an interesting artifact in & of itself. Maybe I should sell these on Etsy or something, as I usually just throw them away. Thoughts?

Palette, 2019, acrylic paint on paper plate, 7" diameter approx.

The Coils of the Gorgon

I'm working on a small scale due to the fact that it's cold & snowy & expensive to heat my studio right now. I have a stack of sepia card I'm working through, putting the best results on various web sites (my own, Flickr, etc.). Here's an updated version of Medusa, influenced in part by the Leonardo book I'm reading (more on that anon).

The Coils of the Gorgon, 2018, ink & acrylic on sepia card, 11" x 8.5".

Dark Turbulence

This is another new piece on cardboard, done in a more raw style than some of my more finished pieces.

Dark Turbulence, 2004, acrylic on cardboard, 29.5" x 16.5" approx.

Ruined Angel Falling

This is a painting on a piece of black foamcore that I found in the garage the other day:

Ruined Angel Falling, 2014, acrylic on foamcore, 28" x 22".

Several Heads

This is a small drawing of a number of heads (four, or maybe three-and-a-half).

Several Heads, 2014, ink & acrylic on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Little Tree in the Wind

This was intended to be a little throwaway piece, but it came out quite well.

Little Tree in the Wind, 2014, acrylic on cardboard, 7" x 6.5" approx.

Forgotten Idol

I've always been fascinated with the idea of ruins & lost civilizations, & this is a theme that runs through my work from time to time.

Forgotten Idol, 2014, acrylic on cardboard, 20.5" x 14.5" approx.

The Supplicant

I've done at least one piece of this same title before...I find that I revisit ideas from time to time, always in the hope of finding something new in them.

The Supplicant, 2013, ink & acrylic on cardboard, 25" x 19" approx.

Angel on Overload

As the title might suggest, this is a densely drawn image. The original drawing was erased over with white acrylic paint, and the newer version was drawn over that in ink.

Angel on Overload, 2013, brush & ink over acrylic, 24" x 19".

3 versions of a head

Left to right:

1. original pencil drawing, 12" x 9"
2. digital compilation of 2 or more intermediate versions (pencil, ink, acrylic) with adjustments & filtering in Photoshop
3. final version, pencil, ink, acrylic on tracing paper

Final title: "The Boy Who Came Back from the Sea".

In some ways, I like the original version best, as it's fresher, less worked. However, I like them all in different ways. The original drawing no longer exists, as it's under the final piece.

The Straw Man Dances

Another ink/acrylic on cardboard...which came from the back of a Cheerios packet...

The Straw Man Dances, 2013, ink & acrylic on cardboard, 12.75" x 7.75" approx.

Saint Sebastian II

Another version of Saint Sebastian (see a few posts below for a color version), done as part of a collaborative project with another artist.

Saint Sebastian II, 2013, ink & acrylic on cardboard, 12" x 9".

The Monster Inside Us All II

This is a new version of an ink drawing of the same name I did a couple of years ago.

The Monster Inside Us All II, 2012, acrylic & ink on cardboard, 14" x 11" approx.

Luminous Youth

This was done in pencil & acrylic paint (also a little bit of black ink) on a spare piece of hardboard that was the backing of a cheap picture frame at some point (hence the 2 small holes, which are where the hanging hardware goes)...I layered the pencil & acrylic over each other.

Luminous Youth, 2012, pencil & acrylic on hardboard, 12" x 9.5" approx.

Seated Among the Rocks

A new piece on cardboard, the ink lines were done with a Pitt artist pen.

Seated Among the Rocks, 2012, ink & acrylic on cardboard, 14" x 11" approx.

A City Turned to Ashes

A small apocalyptic tondo:

A City Turned to Ashes, 2012, acrylic on a circular piece of cardboard, 5" diameter approx.

Far Beyond Good and Evil

Rilkean angelic head again (see a couple posts below) I guess...reminds me why I should get back to painting...

Far Beyond Good and Evil, 2012, ink & acrylic on cardboard, 11" x 8" approx.

The Grail

Speaking of mythical objects of immense power...

The Grail, 2012, ink & acrylic on cardboard, 11" x 8".

Man's Head Over Palimpsest

This one has been through many changes...in the end I obliterated the original versions of a woman's head with acrylic ground & started over.


Man's Head Over Palimpsest, 2010, ink (markers, pen, brush) over acrylic etc., 11" x 8.5".

The Thoughtful One

I was going to call it "The Thinker", but apparently someone else beat me to that title...

This was a drawing that I did a few weeks ago...I just tried darkening the background, & I think it improved it a lot.


The Thoughtful One, 2010, ink & acrylic on paper, 11" x 8.5".

The background dark gray tone is actually a mixture of ink & acrylic sludge.