Finally Finished with Carving

I've finally completed the cross carving started last spring. I worked on it off and on for about 6 months. It was competed in maple wood which proved difficult perhaps because of this specific piece of wood. The grain pattern and direction ran all over the place making it difficult to keep a single shape consistent. In the end I am somewhat pleased with the outcome. I guess the artist is always on the lookout for mistakes. 

I decided to give it a dark stain which certainly brought out the grain patterns. The left side grain pattern is really quite different than the right side. One of the joys of working with wood is that you don't have all of the say in the outcome especially working with hand tools as opposed to power tools. This was completely carved by hand with the exception of the initial cut of wood. I am now thinking of how it should be displayed; a chain or a frame? Also where should its destination be? Perhaps donated to a church where it can be used for contemplation.  

Some Thoughts on Inspiration

Why do artists create? There are as many motivations as there are artists I assume. Many artists paint, draw, sculpt, make etc. as a response to the world around them, the world which they observe. For me the greatest inspiration for my artwork is nature itself and the Creator of that nature. Artists throughout history have responded to this never ending source of inspiration. I think of the great Northern Renaissance Artist Albrecht Durer who studied nature so carefully while capturing its fleeting beauty. His great artistic skill, the ability to handle paint and other media strikes me. While viewing one of his portraits you can truly know the personality of the sitter. Vincent Van Gogh is another artist I truly admire, probably more for his passion and insight into the "invisible" world than for his technique. Although I love his use of brushstroke and color. His earlier work focussed on the "down and out" of society and he sought to bring dignity to their plight. 

At the moment I am inspired by artists who paint "alla prima" style. The paintings become a reality themselves because of the thickly painted canvas. Artists who can paint with a quick technique that is both fresh and very skillful draws my attention. The "important" details are said, those details that speak to the identity of the subject. 

Inspiration is sometimes hard to pin down. It changes with time but stays around long enough to ponder and study and if given the right mood art is created from it.

Olive Oil and Egg

Another quick painting. I attempted this scene from life a few days ago and failed. I just did not have it in me to take on all of the greens, ambers, and other colors in the olive oil bottle. I think this one worked out fine and I am pleased with the color work and the lighting. This was from life and the colors turned out much more realistic than from working from a photo. The still life was set up near a window to allow natural lighting to hit the objects. The background is my daughter's blue shirt.

Real Light.

This small painting is from Ruidoso, New Mexico. We went to one the trail heads of Lincoln National Forest. I was with my family so I didn't paint on site but we did hike a little so I was able to snap some photos. What a peaceful place so quiet and removed from our "big city" life. 

My desire to paint has been on the up recently. I decided to set up a small still life. I so much appreciate painting from life where the true colors and light remain. What a difference over photos, not to say that photos cannot be a good option for the painter because they can and sometimes they are a necessity. But you have to take the opportunity as an artist to study nature and participate with it, enjoy it and learn from it. 

I haven't painted for the last few weeks as I have busy catching up on other things. I did however recently paint this small painting. It is from a photo snapped while driving (probably not very safe). I tried to capture the quiet peace of dusk. The sun and the wonderful colors fade quickly illuminating the landscape with all of its peculiar shapes. The edges are soft and blend together.

Small Portrait of my Wife

Here is a small 5*8 portrait of my wife, Cindy.

Working in Wood

One of my favorite art forms is wood sculpture. It is a very slow time consuming activity but I find it to be meditative and relaxing. Many of my wood projects tend to be religious in nature. There is something about the reality of the wood, the naturalness that lends the medium to religious imagery; at least for me. There is a rich tradition of wood being used to express the crucifixion of Jesus and other Biblical scenes. I feel comfortable working along side with that tradition even in a time when many artists have left it or no longer have a connection with faith. Faith, the Christian faith is integral to the story of humanity and will continue to be so.
  The above piece is one that I had planned out some time ago and I am only now digging into it. It will be an abstract cross design with many layers and finally an antique stain.

Happy Easter

The Lord Jesus has risen! The greatest passion of all. 

Painting Fast and Small

Stacked Cups and Egg, 6*6

Light in the Alley, 5*7

I've been painting fast and on a small scale recently. I've been inspired by the "daily painting" movement that many painters have subscribed to. It certainly is a good way to gain skill, but also a way to sharpen one's artistic eye, always looking for beauty and uniqueness in the world. There is so much good, and praiseworthy material to be found! But you have to actively look for it and not let the darkness in. I like the idea of the setting evening light falling on the back alley, illuminating trash cans into objects of beauty, causing a pathway to be for just a short time.

Crucible

I recently finished this painting keeping with the unique still life theme. I setup the scene in my garage against the unpainted wall. The vase is a find from an antique store. It was small, delicate and had an interesting color and reflecting qualities. The wood "chunk" that the vase is sitting on is a block of Brazilian cherry that I intended to create a carving from. That hasn't happened yet but test carving marks were made on the edges. I wanted to create a sense of atmosphere and ambiguity in the background. Is it a wall or some sort of landscape? I titled the piece "Crucible". The intense red of the platform of wood, the turbulent background caused me to think of such. The work is to be entered into an upcoming "Artists who Teach" show here in San Antonio.

Some Daily Paintings

These two paintings were quick observational "studies", each taking 3 or so hours. This type of technique has become appealing to me lately; kind of like plein air painting, done on the spot with quick decisions as opposed to longer studio paintings where decisions are planned and paint is mixed in a sort of long ritual. Both are valid methods used to achieve different ends. I do like the spontaneity and life of the quicker observational work, these both measure 9*12. Let me know what you as the viewer thinks of them.

A Few More

Recent Paintings

I've dove right back into painting again. The last three months I have been able to produce at least 11 works. New found inspiration, and a desire to turn out artwork has led me to interesting avenues within my art. I have begun to appreciate still life subject matter and have enjoyed painting from life, where an artist truly begins to sharpen their skill and see with their own eyes. Not that photography doesn't have a place in the making of good art. Just because an artist uses a camera as an aid does not mean they are not skilled or justified as a real painter. The final image is of concern. Does it carry artistic and creative value? Or is it boring, repetitive, and have the air of copying someone else's ingenuity? I hope my newest work has some of that newness and vitality.