Landscapes: Looking DownPaintings of the earth as man and nature has changed it

Myrtle on Sidewalk, pastel, 16"x24"

Flagpole, Cement, & Weeds, oil, 12"x12"

Blossoms, Eggshells, Pinecone & Twigs, oil, 12"x12"

Stripe, Weeds, & Twigs, oil, 12"x12"

Rusted, Cover, Weeds, and Stones, oil, 12"x12"

Cracks, Patches, Pebbles & Weeds, oil, 12"x12"

Flowers, Stripe & Weeds, oil, 12"x12"

Framed: Curb, Pebbles, Weeds & Patch, oil, 12"x12"

Cracks, Dried Leaf, Weeds & Twig, oil, 12"x12"

Dandelions & Anthills, pastel, 16"x24"

Seasonal Plein-Air Landscapes

Milkhouse & Barn, oil on panel, 11"x11"

Late Fall Trees from Creek Edge, pastel, 12"x8"

Marsh Marigolds at Mitch's, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

 

Aspen in Spring Snow, oil, 14"x11"

Path to Meandering Creek, oil, 14"
x 11"

New Tree in Forest, oil on panel, 12" x 9"

Meadow in Afternoon Sun, oil on panel, 5" x 18"

Bear Creek at Cannonsburg, oil on panel, 8"x10"

Nightfall from Deck, oil on panel, 36"x80"

Meandering Creek in Spring, oil, 10"x 9"

Experiments With Copper!

 I am experimenting with copper, patina colors, and small frames.  Each piece is designed to work as a whole.  I'm beginning with bits of copper left over from previous projects.  I'm finding new ways to add texture and colors.  Many of the frames have been sanded and repainted.  Here are a few pieces I've been working with.

My work is hung and ready for ArtPrize!

Finally the big day came: every painting was placed in its frame, and all of the paintings loaded in the van. Mark Mitchell (wood worker) and I arrived at the Grand Rapids Art Museum ready to hang, and found just the perfect wall waiting for us. It took five hours to hang, with Mark being very exacting in his measurements and exacting in the placement. When we were finished, we were delighted with the entry's appearance! I was the first of 43 artists with my artwork up!

ArtPrize getting close!

I spent a couple of weeks of wrapping the frames with the copper, applying the chemical to make a patina, & then applying elbow grease with steel wool to burnish them down. I think they are now close to done! I still need to apply the wax to the frames and polish. The paintings are now mounted on board and ready for putting in the frames, so I took a moment this morning to assemble them on the floor, and was excited to see how the copper looked around the paintings.

Work Involved to finish my ArtPrize project!

Another ArtPrize Exhibition is drawing near! I have been working on mine since January- you can see the beginnings of it in an earlier post. (A short recap: my project is a group of 16 images, all to do with the idea of "The Tenacity of Nature" and deals with how nature makes it through man-made elements no matter how we pull, stomp and push back. And it's good.)

My ArtPrize this year will be at the Grand Rapids Art Museum! I have my paintings nearly complete, and now am concentrating on the frames, which have been built by a friend (who is a wood-worker) and now I'm hand finishing them by wrapping them in copper. This finishing touch should complete my statement. As when we lay down bricks, cement, roads and watch nature grow right through it, so we lay down copper and watch what nature does to it as well. In this case, I just need to help the copper along a wee bit. I am texturzing it (to make it have more of the machine look) and torching it- to make the color beneath have a more varied and subtle glow, and will be applying patinas as well.

I have a few photos here showing a bit about the stage it is in now. Although I have one prototype finished, I still need to continue working to get all 16 complete!

Exhibit at Park Congregational Church

On March 21, 2010 I had an opening at Park Church Congregational Church in downtown Grand Rapids. A friend took some photos of the opening and I took a few photos of the walls.