My First NFT

I may be late to the NFT party, but hopefully now that the gold rush is over, it is still a viable way to show & sell digital art. My first offering is "In the Realm of Machines" which you can see below. Here is the link to OpenSea: https://t.co/8cYnBfap0d

 

In the Realm of Machines (AI), 2024

 

Leonardo.Ai screenshot of a work in progress

 Here is a screenshot of a WIP in the Leonardo.Ai interface (Realtime Canvas section), to demonstrate that AI image generation is slightly more complicated than some people might think. In this case, it's a combination of a text generated image with more text input, plus I've painted extensively on the image to change the shapes and appearance of objects. It's a refining process which can be quite lengthy...AI is really a collection of power tools that enhance creativity.

Leonardo.Ai screenshot

And here is the finished piece:

Light Among the Ruins AI

Colossus Variation (AI generated image)

 Sometimes, using Leonardo Ai, it manages to achieve good results very quickly. Other times, I have to give up on it & assume it doesn't understand what I'm trying to evoke. In the case below, it did a pretty good job, all 4 of the original images generated were potentially usable. This one could ideally use a bit of tweaking, the giant foot of the subsidiary sculpture stands out, as does the inconsistency of sailing vessels depicted...but that's part of the fun of AI.

Colossus Variation (AI)

They Found the Sphere

Another new drawing from about a week ago, done here in Tempe AZ during self-imposed lockdown. Moving back to the Hudson Valley soon for the summer...

They Found the Sphere, 2020, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 17"

New Dawn Fades

A new oil painting on panel. The title is borrowed from a Joy Division song, & I think they might have borrowed it from William Burroughs (?). Reality dissolves. I might do more work on this.

New Dawn Fades, 2019, oil on panel, 20" x 16"

Storm Over Mountains

Another small new oil painting on panel (the canvas textured kind). I'm trying to extend the creation time of my paintings to give more depth to them...using liquin to speed up drying time & also put glazes on the work.

Storm Over Mountains, 2019, oil on panel, 6" x 8"

Man Transforming Into a Landscape

Channeling my inner Bonnard/Matisse in this small new painting...

Man Transforming Into a Landscape, 2019, acrylic on panel, 11" x 7.5"

Of Mountains and Sky

A new small oil painting on plywood panel of a wild, mountainous landscape. There may be more images in this vein forthcoming, wait and see...

Of Mountains and Sky, 2018, oil on panel, 12" x 9"

When Time Has No Meaning

Another large-ish drawing with the soluble carbon, which is working well for me. I may never use actual ink again...

When Time Has No Meaning, 2017, soluble carbon on paper, 24" x 18".

After the Rain...

...the world will be clean again. Another acrylic landscape painting (almost completely abstract) on the handmade rag paper. I have a certain kind of landscape image in my mind that I'm trying to get down in paint, & this is the closest I've come so far...

After the Rain, 2017, acrylic on rag paper, 5.75" x 8" approx.

Atomic

Here's a new ink drawing where I took the title from a Blondie song. I do this sometimes...use song titles or lyrics for my artworks. I always liked that song.

Atomic, 2016, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 14"

2 old paintings: Babel & Figure in a Landscape

Unfortunately, my aunt passed away suddenly a few weeks ago. In her collection were a couple of my paintings from long ago (1978, to be precise), which I'm posting below. "Babel" is a fairly straightforward oil painting somewhat in the style of John Martin, and "Figure in a Landscape" which is heavily painted in quite thick impasto. Both are done in oil. I hadn't really thought about either of these for years, so it was surprising to see them again. The second one, I've left the bamboo frame in the photo, as it goes well with the painting.

Babel, 1978, oil on canvas, 14" x 18"

Figure in a Landscape, 1978, oil on board, 16" x 12"

The House Where Souls Grow

This is a small painting I did today that seems to say something profound on an emotional level...something about the idea of home...this one took me surprise, as I didn't know where it was heading until it just happened.

The House Where Souls Grow, 2015, acrylic on gatorboard, 14" x 11".

Weaver of Storms and Labyrinths

Something of a return to ink drawing...this one appeared rather organically on the page, with only a vague idea on my part of what was going to happen.

Weaver of Storms and Labyrinths, 2014, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 14".

The Fortune Teller

This new small painting is more of a traditional "scene" (figure in a landscape with a tower, clouds, etc.) than many of my pieces. I think it works quite well & may well be the beginning of a series...we'll see...

The Fortune Teller, 2014, acrylic on board, 12" x 9".

Across the Fields of Night

This is a small painting done on a scrap of cardboard. Sometimes the best pieces come really easily & are very simple...I think this may be one of those...

Across the Fields of Night, 2014, acrylic on cardboard, 11.5" x 6.5" approx.

Caught in a Dream

This is a new brush & ink drawing that went beyond its original intention.

Caught in a Dream, 2013, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 14".

The Alchemist

This is not the first time I've used this title...however, the figure shrouded in white sitting by a pool is kind of a new motif (if by way of Böcklin...)

The Alchemist, 2013, acrylic on cardboard, 48" x 36".

Crystal Lake Animated

This is another old painting (from 2004) which I have made into a simple animated GIF. The animation is not very sophisticated, it's really more of a sketch of an idea than a finished piece.

Crystal Lake Animated, 2013, animated GIF.

So Far Away

Another is a series of small mystical, visionary, figures in a landscape paintings.

So Far Away, 2012, acrylic on board, 12" x 9".