Bold Moves...

1:45 am, still in the studio. Sleep...a lovely thought I keep as close to the edge of my mind as I can without it slipping away for good. Too many other things crowding to the front. Too many distractions. Caught in a whirlwind...

now usually I would have gone with a water reference right there; tidal wave, tsunami, flood, lost at sea, where I used "whirlwind". I'm much more of a water person and I just used an air reference. I wonder what that means...


Where was I? Distractions. No. Bold! Ya that's it...

So, another Chadette. 10 x 30 inches, un-named as of yet. Possibly not finished.



Bold? This is the first time I can remember consciously willing to risk the destruction of a painting to take it in another direction. I'm a little more cautious with my painting than the rest of my life for some reason.

It didn't take much, but there was to be no going back. It has taken me almost a year of deliberation as to what I should do to this canvas. I liked the painting the way it was, but I thought it needed something else. I just wasn't sure what.

This morning it dawned on me, (I just got that, sorry), she needed to be part of the Sorrow Series. She just wasn't sad enough.

After a lengthy discussion with myself...I think I fixed that...



She's almost there...

Been There...Done That...What?

Those that forget history are bound to repeat it.

Oh ya?

What if you do remember history, and the same shit happens again anyway?

Umm...?

It's like the whole Klingon in alternate Universes.

No. That's totally a different kind of mind wedgie. His history isn't repeating. He's going from one reality to another. It's parallel.

You're right. It's the time loop episode.

Ya. That's the one.

So, how many times you think you've been through here?

Beats me. It must be a shit load. The enterprise was stuck for what? A few months? That other ship was there for seventy five years for shit sake. Can you imaging?

I don't have too, I think it's happening to me. I'm stuck in this fucking loop. It's not even a good loop. No money, no girls, no fun. I'm stuck with you losers.

Dude, that's harsh don't you think?

Maybe. What's the difference? It's going to hit the end of the cycle and the loop will start over and we'll be having this same conversation tomorrow. What should I call you next time? Wonder what I called you last time? Or the last thousand times? This has to stop. Maybe you could get you're feet off of my table next time? No matter how many times we go through this, I don't want your feet on my table.

What ever dude. Hey? Why don't we just watch that show and see how they get out of the loop.

Umm...?

Dude? Did you smoke all of that?

Umm.....What?.....No.....What?

...Dizzy.

There are days...alright, months, that it is simply not possible to focus. Too many things in one place at the same time. It makes things all...wibbly wobbly. Things that have to stay there, instead of here, thanks to superstitions, karma, the fates, and an "Intellectual Property and Trade Secret Agreement".

It's making me quite...dizzy. I went out last night, and managed to come home, with out my shoes.

*****

These paintings were actually going some where...at one point...and now they may have gone beyond...
I was thinking this should be one giant wave. It's 36 x 48 inches. Little to no sky would be visible. Maybe it's still there.

*****

This one, is no where near it's vision. 18 x 24 inches. I was thinking that the black lines are thin legs, walking through blowing sand and being blown away at the same time. Eroding, if you will. The brown in the center is the back ground mountain range. I over did that part already. It needs to come out or be seriously re-done.

Above the legs are going to be robotic humanoid things. Some will have mini hot air balloons attached to them. Telephone poles and wires running across from front to back to imply some distance. A smoke stack or two. In brick.

Nope...I'm not seeing that at the moment either. It's in there...some where...over the river and through the woods to save the poor old wolf from that evil old hag and her creepy hooded grand daughter...maybe...I like the top half in blue. Right down to the brown. Oh well.

Six Foot Sal...

This was the first few hours. Under painting. She' 24 x 36 inches, oil on canvas. 2am yesterday.

Puppy, Free To A Good Home......

This is Duke. He is a Neapolitan Mastiff. He's three and half years old, well behaved.



Ok, it's not actually a real puppy, well he was, but I'm talking about this painting. It's an oil on canvas board, 8 x 10 inches.

It is free to a good home. Just comment and tell me you want it and can provide a good home.

Why, you ask?

Because it will make me feel better. That's why.

Getting Back...

I started this painting on January 3rd. I posted the first session of her. Since then it has been sitting on my easel, staring at me. Talking to me. Nagging me.

Finish me...finish me...finish me...

Shut up or I'll paint over you...

Frankly, she's been driving me a little bonkers.

This morning at around 1:30 am I got tired of listening to her and went to work. It's not what I had been seeing in my mind, but I like where she's at. It's close enough that I could leave it and call her finished without having to listen to her anymore. And I wont have to paint over her.

Jade 24 x 36 inches, oil on canvas.

Honor The Muse...

Every so often I find a zone. Like a hitting streak. Things just work right. They flow. For what ever reason. They are all too infrequent.

Chadette No 57, 16 x 20 inches on canvas.

Honor the muse when she comes for a visit. Listen to her. Do not question. Just paint. Not everything that comes will be great and it doest matter. Soon she will be gone.

I have great admiration for the artists that can force them selves to create. I can't. I do at times try but it never seems to works.

It's times like these that I give thanks for my insomnia. More time to paint.

Guest Painter In My Studio...

This afternoon after pre-school Mr. Man informed me that he wanted to do some painting.

Of course I said alright. He's a natural. The bold strokes. The color selection. The reckless abandon. It's inspiring.

May I present...

Manette No 3, 12 x 16 inches, water color on paper.
(he even took the photo, although I did photoshop it)

At the same time, I was able to get this far on my next work. She's almost finished.

Chadette No 56, 16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas.

On The Easel...10

Chadette No 55, 16 x 20 inches on canvas.

Presenting...

Chadette No 54, 16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas board.

There are nine more of the Chadettes on the easel. Jessica, and everyone else, get your thinking caps on, they will all need names. Including this one.

On The Easel...9

Here we have Chadette No 53, 8 x10 inches, oil on canvas board. I feel I may have to call this one, "...who's the fairest...". (it's a working title)


Many continued thanks to Jessica. She is on the spot with the names for my girls, and well on her way to becoming the official "Chadette name giver outer". (that is of course the technical term)

On The Easel...8

The last few days have been most productive. Here are the newest members to the Chadette family.

Jessica was kind enough to give me some great names for the last four. Thank you very much. I am going to use all four of them. Let me know about these two.

Chadette No 52 8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas board.

Chadette no 51 8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas board.

On The Easel...7-update

This is where I left off at 2:30 this morning. I think they are finished. If I do anything it will be to the back ground areas.

As always, feel free to give me suggestions for names. After three years of Chadettes, I'm having a really hard time naming them.

Chadette No. 50 5 x7 inches, oil on canvas board.

Chadette No. 49 5x7 inches, oil on canvas board.

Chadette No. 48 5 x 7 inches, oil on canvas board.

Chadette No. 47 8 x 10 inches, oil on canvas board.

On The Easel...7

I really need to work on my art photography skills. These stink.
However, I am pleased with the out come to this point. These are the first two of nine Chadettes on the easel. They're not quite finished yet, but close.
Back to painting, it's only midnight.

8 x 10 inch

5 x 7 inch.

On The Easel...5

Sessions one and two have lead me to this point. About three hours. So far so good. 24 x 36 inches. She needs a lot more work. I'm thinking she looks like a "Jade".

C'est Fini...

May I introduce "Maitresse"...


16 x 20 inches, oil on canvas.

I can't remember the last painting I spent this much time on. There have been a couple of changes since I shot this photo but this is basically it. I'm pleased with her.

On The Easel...

Still not sleeping but I am painting. This week I have been working on this. She's 33 x 49 inches. I haven't thought of a name for her yet, so suggestions are welcome. It's finished, for the most part. Although, I never know when to quit.

Why Must You Mock Me...

Sometimes the voices get so loud. And of course they all want to talk at once. It makes it hard to hear any of them clearly. Ignoring them is usually the best. Eventually they fade.

The visions on the other hand, are soft and quiet. Crystal clear in my mind. Every detail is right there in front of me. But they're stuck.

No matter how clearly you can see them in your mind, getting them out is painstakingly difficult. No matter how you beg and plead with them.

They taunt you like a play ground bully.

What do you want from me? So close, I can almost touch them. When I reach out they pull back and fade away, only to come back clearer than ever.

Curse you! Stop it I say. Come out or go away!

For days, weeks, months and years at times. You toy with me. Just when I have you out of my mind you poke me with a stick. "Here I am, come get me."

I reach out only to have you pull away again. Re-opening the wound, rubbing salt in it and laughing at my pain. Mocking me.

Why can't I just let go of you? Why?

I beg of you, please...

On The Easel...

This is what I've been working on this week. My favorite thing to paint and photograph. Naked women. Shocker, I know. This piece is four panels, each 10 x 30 inches. I have been interested in the multi panel works. This painting still needs a few more layers and a few detail adjustments.
I was really liking the way it was coming...until I moved it and separated the panels.

Now that I have moved them apart, it's freaking me out. She is totally creepy with the panels a few inches apart. It's the top two panels. The gap between her nose and mouth is what ruins it for me. I like the lower three panels. That gap under her nose makes her face really creepy.
Precious said she was too "porn-ish" anyway. I can see what she means. I am using web porn girls for models. It's not easy to find a good model.

Ideally I would love to find one or two women that I could use all of the time. I want to have a uniform look to the female works. It would also help to have them in person once in while instead of just photos. This work is 10 x 30 inches, single panel. This is just the under painting. It has a long way to go.

Preparation Has Begun...

As mentioned earlier this week. This is the first practice work for the upcoming "Quick Draw".
Each panel is 12 x 36 inches. Oil on canvas. It took about 45 minutes. I'm guessing.

I had started to listen to "This American Life" with Ira Glass. One of the best PBS radio shows ever. Anywho...Each program is about 58 minutes or so. I started listening, ran upstairs to make myself a Vodka redbull, came back down and began painting. I was finished aboout ten minutes before it was over. Ira made me cry too. A story about the bond of love between parents and children. I have become such a softy.

This was the result...

As of yet Untitled...