San Diego

My short escape and first visit to San Diego fulfilled some of my ever longing need to feel the ocean. Anything to escape the sweltering 100 + degree weather we're getting here in Texas. I adore the jagged, earthy sandstone cliffs of La Jolla, framed by a big, broad sky and 70 degree temps, wow. And the pandas and gorillas! California is a real gem...some day I'll spend more time there...I could spend days just taking pictures of the rock formations, wiggling the sand between my toes and getting to know the seals by name.....

MYSTIC FALLS - New Painting of The Day

I'm up early today taking photographs of many of my new paintings. The scorching afternoon Texas heat has gotten unbearable already while the mornings are still very pleasant. I enjoy taking photographs of my work outdoors in daylight where you can really see the true colors and nuance.

Here is a sneak peek at my latest abstract landscape work entitled Mystic Falls...available through my online gallery soon. If you look into it, you will get carried into a roaring riverfall that seems to come from somewhere right out of a dream. It's quite mesmerizing...a journey....love the way it turned out but I could never recreate something like this...totally in the moment dance with my subconscious.

Title: Mystic Falls
Size: 72"x36"x1.5 (36"x24" ea. canvas)
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Please visit my online gallery to purchase

Sculptor's Paradise

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of metallics. You see it everywhere hidden in my art, my paintings, my clocks, all over my wardrobe. And, boy do I love texture-so much so that I deem myself more of a paint sculptor than anything else. So, in order to really take those elements to new extremes, it makes total sense that I would feel a deep pull to full fledge sculpting. For the last few months I've been deeply engaged, thirsting if you will, to learn as much as I can about all the various sculpting techniques.

It was bound to happen when I recently moved to a new East Austin space...right next door, it turns out, to the largest metal recycling yard in town! From my third story, I've peered over that massive metal yard for over a year now, my mind churning with creative juices over the potential of tons and tons of random pieces and scraps of odds and ends, shapes and textures. Ah! An artist's treasure trove of underappreciated, lustrous metals waiting for their potential beauty to be discovered.

So, lately I've been busily studying sculpture in Austin with a very talented, master sculptor, Steve Dubov. I have learned how to bring my obsession with texture to it's absolute highest potential...pure 3d sculpture. My fascination at the moment lies in metals ie. copper, stainless steel and aluminum...clay feels fantastic too...squishing it between your fingers...but metal has my heart at the moment.

Anyway, today I just returned from my newest favorite pastime--pilfering through the metal recycling yard--where I found this box full of magic goodies. I know it looks like a pile of "whatever" to most, but to my imagination, it's pure Sculpting Heaven. The guys at the yard look at scrawny little me like they fear for my life in this moshpit of ten ton, back breaking steel. Little do they know, we are only JUST getting started..I'm certain we are going to become very good friends in the years to come!

Stay tuned to see what these diamonds in the rough turn into.......

Off to awe at my finds and gear up the drillpress.........

Paramount Theatre's 93rd Gala Fundraiser

Head down to Congress Ave. tomorrow night in support of the arts and put your best bid in for one of my original paintings! As a lover of all things art, most especially visual and theater, I was thrilled to be asked to participate in the most exclusive live and silent auctions in Austin, the Paramount Theatre and State Theater's 93rd Anniversary Gala. A sell out almost every year, it plays a huge part in funding world class performing art in Austin including the historical downtown Paramount Theatre. A live concert will feature the legendary Boz Scaggs, with Kate Edmonson and Radiostar. See you there! http://www.austintheatre.org

Feeling Blue

Size: (3x) 5"x5"x1.5" ea. canvas
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Price: $95
Please visit my online gallery to purchase

Here's a little sneak peek of my newest painting-part of my small works series. I have really been drawn to these gorgeous, vibrant blues lately. The middle canvas is a sheer blue over silver metallic acrylic...I really like the way they turned out...they give the room a little pop. Each one was a little experiment in itself. You'll see more Blue sneaking into my next large series of works...fits my current mood, I guess. Enjoy!

Sweet Melody...New Painting of The Day

Here's a sneak preview of a new original painting I created...I haven't released it yet...I will post this beauty to my online gallery soon but here's a little looksie (in natural lighting) for grins! This piece seems to entrance everyone who sees it...they smile....and gaze...and smile....and gaze....hmmm....come to think of it, I do smile a bit more too when it's around....plus, it does look pretty darn good here in my gallery....a keeper?

Title: Sweet Melody
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 36"x36"x1.5"
SOLD

New Small Works Series

Title: Untitled
Medium: Acrylic and Patina on Canvas
Size 5"x5"x1.5" ea. canvas
Price: $95
Please visit my online gallery to purchase

My sneak preview of the day is a new SMALL abstract triptych painting I just finished. I'm really excited about my new series of small abstract works on canvas and board. I'll be posting them up this week. I started working on these flirty little guys after getting several requests from clients who were looking for unique art for those smaller, awkward spaces that you find all over your place ....I started realizing that my studio gallery has them too-everywhere-so these are a welcome addition to my environment as well. Working on them has been freeing...waaaay different for me after creating only very large works for several years. I'm having too much fun with them anyways...experimenting, trying new mediums and new techniques without having to worry about committing to an entire huge canvas. Enjoy!