No Direction

Fleeing to Nowhere

A pen and ink I was working on. I let it go topsy turvy. I really couldn't orient it in any direction. 

And maybe there's more to it. I'm not sure yet.

Divine Intervention

This was the other entry in the BWAC Black and White show. "Divine Intervention is a Bitch" is the caption at the top. Meaning....leave well enough alone.
Oh, by the way, neither piece got into the show. Boo Hoo.

Too many Angels

After almost a whole year, I finally finished Too Many Angels. Having taken so long and kind of lost my way with it, I changed the color schemes several times. I finally settled on this palette.
I would have liked to have called it Poking Angels, in honor of my new interest in Facebook (I still don't know what poking is) but I'm sticking to my first choice for title.
A sad song by the same name, sung by Jackson Browne:
Too Many Angels

Under Siege: Part 2

I've added some figures into the building, some creatures and started the background color, a mixture of Azo deep and cadmium medium yellow. I may stay with that color, or change it later.
I chose a whole color palette, using the color aide papers. But that doesn't mean I'll stick with them. And I'm still toying with the figures, adding subtracting, refining.

Under Siege-Part one

Ok, after months of procrastination, I've finally started a new painting. The working title is Under Siege. It's 36X48 inches. I KNOW the economy stinks and I should be working small but I needed something to inspire me and get me going. I've been putting off painting for quite a while. I'll have to check in with Dr. Freud on that.
I start out picking the size of my canvas, then I look at lots of pictures and start making small drawings in proportion. When I have one I like, I transfer it, in a not-very-scientific way, to the canvas. It doesn't need to be a perfect transfer cause I've found that what looks good small sometimes doesn't look as good big. Plus, maybe having something to do with my brain, no matter how many grids I draw, I can never get my left and right side to match.
So here's the beginning of inking in the basic drawing. As I transferred it, I did change it. And what makes the whole thing so labor intensive is that I feel the need to outline everything in black. Then I 'erase' parts with white paint. Later, after I add color, I'll have to reapply the black lines. But that's just how it has to be for me.
Also, the story is now unfolding for me. I'm seeing who the protagonists are in this world. So I'll be adding those also. Once I add color, the story may change yet again.
Stay tuned.

Life Roaches

Had a conversation with Lia, and the phrase 'Life Roaches' was born. You are familiar with Life Coaches I'm sure. But who coaches us on all the really bad stuff that life has in store?
This doodle was done a few days ago.

Todo

This is a smallish painting which I did to enter in a show. It didn't get in. But I still enjoyed doing it. It's totally decorative.

Doodling

I used to draw everyday...sketching or just doodling in my art book. Now a days I only draw when I'm planning a painting. So I decided to take a break everyday and just DRAW...no purpose in mind, no goal, no judgement. Here's my first new doodle in a long time.

7 Headed Beast...incomplete

Here's the new painting I'm working on for Il Melone Gallery. Meaning, I'm painting on unstretched canvas. What a bother! But forget all that. This is a compliment to the Scorpion Beast, same color background and it will have the same border colors.
When I get stuck for what color scheme to paint, I pull out my color aide papers. They used to be in order but now, as you can see, they are a mess. From the pack I'll put together a color scenario that I like. I guess you could say, I'm not subtle about color.

Snakebeast, complete..For Linder

I finished the snake beast and I'm posting this less then perfect photo because Linder, my sister liked it and I'm a sucker for flattery of any kind. So here it is Linder, I wanted you to see the details and comment.

Snake beast, the other one

I finished my snake/horse beast. And I like him so much that I've started on another. Here's the finished painting and the beginning of the next one.

Snake Demon in progress

OK, this is a nameless and incomplete snake demon. He's (or she's) 18X36 inches. I went thru several changes with this one. Originally I painted the background red, but then realized it was way too bright, especially with the funny yellow design I had added (now all gone). I had the idea to base the painting on paisley color patterns. But I gave it up for more harmonious colors. It's not done yet, but it's now in the final phase.
Oh, and I apologize for the very very bad photo.

Fishing..the beginning

YES,YES, I know, I'm a very bad blogger. But I've actually been doing work for money and getting ready for the BWAC summer show at the same time.
This is a little piece I've started. I'm going to try smaller pieces, due to the economy being in the pits.

Freefall- retouched

Thanks to a comment by Mai-Liis, I decided to redo this painting. I wanted stronger color. Perhaps it was the heat wave we are having in NYC, but I picked hot colors for this newer version of Freefall

1Against3, Finished

OK, I've inked in the dark lines and now the painting comes alive. Here's the version. It's 8X10 inches.

1Against3, almost done

I've been extremely lax about posting. I apologize to my thousands, perhaps millions, of readers.
I've decided to try some smaller pieces and here I've used a detail from one of my biggest pieces, 3against1, and done a tiny 8"X10" version in different colors.
Today I'll add the black line, always one of my favorite steps.
Why am I working tiny you ask? Well, someone bought by auction piece at the BWAC pier show...as in bought it out right for a hundred bucks. It inspired me with the idea of a wall of little jewel colors paintings. I hate to admit it..but money CAN be inspiring.

FreeFall-finished

Wow, I cannot believe I haven't written since April. BAD BAD ME. But a lot has been going on, getting ready for the BWAC Pier show. Two sisters leaving for the Camino, Feeling sorry for myself (that takes up a lot of time).
Here is FreeFall. I hope the color is not too off; it was a spur of the moment photo.
I find that if I work TOO slowly on a piece, I lose momentum. Had to push myself to the finish line and for awhile I was really un-nerved by the colors. But now, I like them...I REALLY like them.
If you want to interpret it as related to the real estate problems going on right now, be my guest.

FreeFall-middle phase

It took a lot of repainting to get FreeFall where I liked it...or at least could stand it. Part of the evolution of this piece was my going to see an exhibit of Takashi Murakami at the Brooklyn museum
OK, I gather it's not to everyone's taste...NO, they hate it. But I loved it and the whole Superflat world. It inspired me to think more about my coloring and this is the resulting current permutation of FreeFall.
Thanks Warren for providing the title.

Seven Heads

This is a small piece that I made for the BWAC Pier show auction:
http://www.bwac.org/
It's the Spring Ahead show, on the Redhook Pier.

Harpy Complete

Harpy is all done. Here she is.
And I gessoed over the elaborate border painting I was going to do. I wasn't enjoying it at all and didn't like the images I had added. So I started over and now I'm having fun. Working title: Subprime......something or other.