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 Watcher From the Deep

A new acrylic on MDF (fiberboard), a quite dark image of an underwater sort of nature. I've been looking at a lot of Symbolist art from the 19th century recently, which may be applicable...

The Watcher From the Deep, 2017, acrylic on MDF, 9" diameter

The Veiling of the Bride

Two versions of a new drawing piece—the first was done on a circle of cardboard that came in a frozen pizza packet (waste not, want not), the second, more worked version is on actual drawing paper. The first one is simpler, the second much more complex—I like both for those reasons.

The Veiling of the Bride, 2017, ink on cardboard, 10.75" diameter approx.

The Veiling of the Bride, 2017, ink on paper, 24" x 18".

The Radiant One

This one I was working on for several days, as you can maybe see from the texture of the paint in the photo & the visible layers. The eyes are not quite to my satisfaction, but I think the piece works. I either hit a wall on this one, or went through a door...

The Radiant One, 2016, acrylic on MDF, 9" diameter.

In situ with leaf

Heaven & Hell Revisited

A short while ago I uploaded 2 small circular paintings (tondos), one with tiny figures (Doomed Souls), the other more of a "landscape" scene (Blue Heaven). It bothered me that they weren't more equivalent in nature, so I've made a new "heaven" piece (All the Stars in Heaven) as a replacement for the previous one. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone...

Doomed Souls, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter approx.

All the Stars in Heaven, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter approx.

Attack on Babel

I've recently started painting on MDF (medium density fiberboard) since I discovered 9" diameter circular (and other shapes/sizes) surfaces useful for painting made out of the stuff. Here is another Babel variation (of many) for your perusal. More paintings of this style in the pipeline, most likely.

Attack on Babel, 2016, acrylic on MDF, 9" diameter.

Attack on Babel, work-in-progress.

The Forest Series

This is a series of 4 drawings and a small round (tondo) painting from this week, all on the "forest" theme.

In the Forest, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 24" x 18".

Queen of the Forest, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 24" x 18".

Child of the Forest, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 24" x 18".

Soul of the Forest, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 24" x 18".

The Forest, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter approx.

Little City of the Red Night

Just a throwaway, more or less. I've been doing a lot of fairly detailed drawings, so this was a little painting as an antidote to that. Came out quite well, considering, & contains a Burroughs reference just because.

Little City of the Red Night, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter, approx.

And the digitally altered (faux woodcut) version:

Heaven & Hell

As promised (previous post), here is another pairing related to Good & Evil, Heaven & Hell. They came out less as archetypal iconic images, which was the original intention, but more as quirky, off-kilter personal meditations on the themes, which might actually be a better result...

Blue Heaven, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter approx.

Doomed Souls, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter approx.

Good & Evil

I've always liked to tackle the big, eternal subjects (war, death, human rights, 7 deadly sins, etc.), so here is another one: good & evil. Twin small tondos (maybe I should do larger versions?), done over the course of 2 or 3 days, so they went through a number of different phases. Next: Heaven & Hell...

Good, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter approx.

Evil, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter approx.

Bejeweled

A new small tondo (round) painting, this one took quite a long time to create, as you may be able to tell from the density and layers of the paint. It's a nod in the direction of Fernand Khnopff, the Belgian Symbolist.

Bejeweled, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

The Ancient Tomb

With this small acrylic tondo I was aiming for a Bocklinesque (the painter of the Island of the Dead) atmosphere...evoking a nocturnal, haunting sense of mystery, with suspense and yet tranquility. Whether I succeeded in all of that or not, I think it works as an interesting piece.

The Ancient Tomb, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

Spidery

This is another tiny tondo (circular painting) I've done recently. This one is a little grotesque, but because it's so small, has an endearing quality. I'm presenting it below in simulated actual size (depending on your monitor resolution, etc.) and in a larger version. I think the larger one holds up pretty well.

Spidery, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 2.6" diameter, approx.

Spidery, enlarged version.

The Fall of the Tower of Babel

Another version of the Tower of Babel (I have done quite a few), this one in small tondo form. Inspired by the Pieter Breughel version, as most of my Babel images are. Painted on plywood that was only lightly primed with white acrylic, so the paint was absorbed quite fast.

The Fall of the Tower of Babel, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

The Skies and Seas of Heaven

Another small tondo painting with angelic, mystical qualities.

The Skies and Seas of Heaven, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

Head in Profile (The Doge as a Young Man)

Another small acrylic tondo of a head, this one in profile. It reminds me somehow of Bellini's Doge portrait, which is something of an iconic touchstone for me. More heads coming...

Head in Profile (The Doge as a Young Man), 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

The Man With the Painted Face

A new small tondo (circular painting) of a man's face, intended for submission to the Limner Gallery's "Show of Heads" coming up soon...I'll mention on this blog if this or another piece is selected.

The Man With the Painted Face, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

Death Sowing His Seed in the World

This tondo painting is in some ways an update to (or related to, at least), my 2005 painting Empire of Death...I find that the tondo (round) format gives me a new perspective on my imagery & subject matter, so I'm tempted to redo all of my themes in circular canvases. This will probably not happen, but I'll most likely do a few like this...

Death Sowing His Seed in the World, 2012, acrylic on circular canvas, 16" diameter.

Tree Man Walking

Another variation on Hieronymus Bosch's Tree Man...this is the first time I've painted a version, I believe.

Treeman Walking, 2012, acrylic on circular canvas, 16" diameter.

The Old Sailor on the Sea of Time

Another tondo, this one monochrome. This has an unfinished feel to it, a little raw, but I like that sometimes & it may stay as is...

The Old Sailor on the Sea of Time, 2012, acrylic on circular canvas, 20" diameter.