mind places

Orangesence Mystery

2012-02-01T15:00:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Splash of Pink

2012-01-02T00:42:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Cosmic Windshield

2011-12-01T01:08:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

What the Hey?!?

2011-11-02T00:32:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Glow Worm

2011-10-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Blame It on the Comet

2011-09-03T19:33:00.000-05:00

This piece was painted around the time of the Hale-Bop Comet passed us in the 90s . Members of a cult killed themselves in the belief that they would catch a ride on a spaceship traveling with the comet.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Algae in Bloom

2011-08-02T00:56:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Pink Sensation

2011-07-03T14:20:00.000-05:00

This is one of several experimental technique paintings I made back in the 90s.
I started them during a presentation I made to the West Bank Art Guild in 1995.
The paintings were exhibited in group show in 1997. This is one of my favorite
pieces from the group of paintings.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Green Fade

2011-06-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Pink Fade

2011-05-04T22:46:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Western Exposure

2011-04-03T00:18:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Pink Breeze

2011-03-02T13:27:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Southern Exposure

2011-02-01T18:26:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Green Breeze

2011-01-02T18:22:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Entangled Neutrals

2010-12-01T18:38:00.002-06:00

A while back, I had a bunch of paint left over from a painting. So, I took my palette and wiped the paint onto a clean canvas. After letting the paint dry, I painted back into forms created by the paint. I happened to be watching one of the "Children of the Corn" films as I worked on this one. I'm not sure if that had any effect on the results.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Crystal Purple

2010-11-01T01:42:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Crystal Orange

2010-10-01T00:40:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Crystal Magenta

2010-09-02T20:10:00.001-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Crystal Green

2010-08-01T12:18:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Crystal Red

2010-07-01T15:30:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Crystal Blue

2010-06-02T00:46:00.000-05:00

In 1993 I explored placing a grid pattern over abstract dripping and pouring. I then heightened the contrast in parts of the paintings. This is the first of six paintings I completed.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Veggie Balls

2010-05-01T22:21:00.002-05:00

This is the last painting of the group. I ran out of steam and moved on to other paintings.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Rust Balls

2010-04-03T16:52:00.001-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Disco Balls

2010-03-03T02:14:00.001-06:00

After "Water Balls" I decided to have a little fun with light bouncing off a mirror ball in this painting. Many artist friends were intrigued when they saw it.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Water Balls

2010-02-04T02:15:00.000-06:00

This painting followed "Fire Balls." Working with a dark blue background was tricky.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Fire Balls

2010-01-03T02:13:00.002-06:00

In 1993 I wanted to be deliberate and expressive in an acrylic painting. So, I just played with the paint. Below is the result of my effort.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Lotsa Rays

2009-12-05T23:07:00.000-06:00

This is last piece in the group. It was a bit busier than the others. I liked the way the sunbeams turned out in it.

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Laughing Bird

2009-11-02T18:09:00.001-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"

Blobs with Antennae

2009-10-08T17:43:00.001-05:00

This is another painting I made based on the dress pattern. I used a lot less yellow paint, but kept the same palette. Shadows had my attention this time.

acryilc on canvas, 16" x 20"

Uproot

2009-09-10T18:14:00.001-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Sunbeams

2009-08-05T18:16:00.001-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"

Arc of Color

2009-07-21T20:17:00.001-05:00

A dress pattern worn by a young woman in "Psycho 2" influenced my palette for this painting. She was filmed in bright sunlight outside the Bates home. Not a typical inspiration for me, but the colors were exciting. I confined my colors to lemon yellow, turquoise titanate, transparent magenta and titanium white. This piece is one of six I worked on during the summer of 1986.

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"

Wanderin' Water

2009-06-12T00:05:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Stream

2009-05-04T12:11:00.001-05:00

This was one of three paintings I created after graduating from college. I attempted to use more earth tones.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Are Those Potatoes?

2009-04-04T00:03:00.000-05:00

Back in 1988, I worked on some paintings depicting rocks and water. Four years later I was showing slides of them to some folks when I was asked “Are Those Potatoes?” I decided I’d name a painting with that title.

watercolor on paper, 26.25" x 41.75"

Flow

2009-03-04T00:01:00.002-06:00

In this paintings I built up my neutrals by glazing basic colors, one on top of the other. I wanted to see how far I could push the process.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Loop

2009-02-06T23:02:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Break

2009-01-05T22:56:00.001-06:00

At this time I worked on a group of paintings as experiments. I was trying out some different ideas to decide which way I might want to go.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Color Burst

2008-12-11T00:46:00.001-06:00

This is the sister painting of "Plane Color."

acrylic on canvas, 15" x 30"

Plane Color

2008-11-21T00:47:00.000-06:00

In critiques from one professor, I was instructed not to bring all areas of a piece up to the same level of finish. In this painting and a sister one I took that idea to an extreme. I left one side of each painting less finished.

This painting is a good example of layered glazes of acrylic. You can see one color through another. I started working this way following my college watercolor experiences.

acrylic on canvas, 15" x 30"

Garden Light

2008-10-11T00:49:00.000-05:00

This is the sister painting to "Garden Color."

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Garden Color

2008-09-26T00:48:00.000-05:00

In college, my professors fussed about us using “tube color” – colors straight out of the tube. We were encouraged to neutralize our colors. When I created paintings after college I tried to continue to mix colors that way. But then fans of my work complained that they missed my bright colors. This is one of several paintings I made in response to that complaint. I still make a point of using brighter colors.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Doodle Poles

2008-08-15T02:48:00.000-05:00

Often I doodle images like this one . . . this time I decided to try one as a painting instead of just a sketch.

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 30"

Columbus/Native American

2008-07-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

This piece was created in 1992 for a show called "An Open Forum on Columbus."

Notice it could be hung both ways.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Desert Storm

2008-06-25T16:01:00.000-05:00

This piece was created in 1991 for a show called "An Open Forum on War."

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

129

2008-05-18T14:50:00.000-05:00

collage, 18" x 36"

White Tea Rose

2008-04-13T15:32:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 20" x 48"

Floating Paint

2008-03-31T01:10:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 14" x 18"

Connnected Forms

2008-02-11T01:06:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 32"

Swirl in Paint

2008-01-03T01:15:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 18"

Poinsettia Story

2007-12-25T19:59:00.001-06:00

This was for a Christmas art show. Each artist was given a country to research a "Christmas story". I was given Mexico . I created a painting about the origin of the poinsettia.

acrylic on canvas, 14" x 18"

Palette Shift in 1987

2007-11-12T22:50:00.001-06:00

In the beginning of 1987 I painted these two small paintings. They mark a particular palette shift. Usually I don’t change my palette so dramatically. Prior to these paintings I was using more blues and purples to define shadows. Here I started adding more browns. Because of the detail involved, I’ve posted them larger than I normally would.

Face Formation

2007-11-12T21:42:00.001-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 4" x 5"

Float Formation

2007-11-12T21:38:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 4" x 5"

Sparkle Shades

2007-09-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

This was a project from Freehand III at Mississippi State. The professor who taught the course used silverpoint in his work. He often painted over it with egg tempera. Our project however was simply to draw using silver. Over the last 22 years the silver has tarnished a bit.

At the time I had a fixation with Ray-Ban sunglasses - the kind worn in "Risky Business." The piece was just meant to be surreal.

silver point on gessoed masonite, 12" x 16"

Cat Slide Water

2007-08-15T02:57:00.000-05:00

In Painting I at Mississippi State, we painted in oils. The first project was a composition full of circles. The second painting was a Seurat dot painting with complementary colors side by side. The third project was composed of collaged imagery – that is parts combined together and then transferred to canvas.

This project was different from the others. The art professor showed us paintings from a wide range of artistic movements, styles and traditions. He stressed that point that we were to make this particular painting more personal than the other projects. We should make this piece our own.

For this image I chose two photographs. One was an image of a slide in my backyard from my younger days. The other was an image of my brother’s Siamese cat, “Bobby.” During the process of painting, the instructor suggested that I paint the cat multiple times to imply motion on the slide. This gave the cat a Futurist look – the Italian movement, Futurism. For the background I decided to include Impressionistic water - a la Monet. When it came to the critique, the art professor fussed about the mix of styles. I let him know I really liked what I had done.

oil on canvas, 29" x 37 3/4"

There is one sad note about this painting. Around the same time, “Bobby” passed away. He had feline leukemia. Water in the lungs is what finally did him in, unfortunately. He was thirteen years old when he passed away. He was a difficult cat to love. He could be sweet one minute and then suddenly bite or scratch. I guess being subjected to three young kids in his earlier years made him that way.

Of all the paintings I completed in college, this one marks the first time I enjoyed personal creative freedom. The mixing of the styles as I did places it in the Postmodern tradition. In my last semester, I was invited to show with a sophomore art student at the Veterinary School. Every month a new show hung in a big lobby space. A staff member from the school offered $100 for this painting, but that price would only cover the cost of framing the painting. The painting now hangs the front room of my house.

Towering Shroooms

2007-07-25T15:54:00.000-05:00

When I took the art course, Advertising II, the art professor had us create an illustration for a calendar. The piece had to be a specific size to go with the calendar. The piece also had to be matted. The art professor for this course had a commercial art painting background. His leaning was to perfect hard edge painting. The upshot is that my expressive way of painting didn't help me when he graded.

acrylic on illustration board,6" x 12"

But so what, I still like the way this one turned out. Taking a page from my film history book, I forced the viewer to see mushrooms from an unusual perspective - underneath. There’s just something about the mood in this painting. OK, so I probably will earn some smart remarks on this one.

Fish Net

2007-06-16T23:25:00.001-05:00

This painting was created using leftover paint from another painting, Entagled Neutrals. And that painting was created from wiping my palette across a canvas. I had the paint already on my palette. Why not use it? Paint's expensive!

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

The Vertical Format

2007-04-26T23:52:00.000-05:00

The two paintings below were inspired by Japanese paintings. I wanted to work in the long vertical format. My paintings are usually painted in the horizontal format.

Pink Ascending

2007-04-26T23:42:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Blue Descending

2007-04-26T23:37:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

What Are They?

2007-03-26T23:59:00.000-05:00

These paintings have titles including the words "Are Those" which began with the watercolor painting Are Those Potatoes? I was reacting to the typical questions I'm asked about my abstract work. Either I'm asked "What is it?" or "What is it supposed to be?"

Are Those Hush Puppies?

2007-03-26T23:58:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10"

Are Those Postachios?

2007-03-26T23:52:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10"

Are Those Cheesy Poofs?

2007-03-26T23:48:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Are Those Dinosaur Eggs?

2007-03-26T23:44:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"

Up the Hill

2007-01-17T00:09:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 10"

Over the Hill

2007-01-17T00:08:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 10"

Down the Hill

2007-01-17T00:07:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 10"

Scraping Paint

2006-12-05T16:07:00.000-06:00

The three pieces below were created by scraping thick paint around. Afterwards I painted light and shadow to imply a landscape.

Redscene

2006-12-05T16:00:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 11" x 14"

Peach Scene

2006-12-05T15:54:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 11" x 14"

Aqua Scene

2006-12-05T15:49:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 11" x 14"

Lime Scene

2006-12-05T15:42:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 11" x 14"

Red Forest

2006-11-14T00:52:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Drift

2006-11-14T00:48:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 30" x 40"

Eye in Smoke

2006-11-14T00:39:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 36"

Faces in Green

2006-11-14T00:26:00.000-06:00

acryllic on canvas, 24" x 36"

Feather Frenzy

2006-11-14T00:23:00.000-06:00

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 30"

Little Landscapes

2006-10-08T21:45:00.001-05:00

These three small paintings were created 20 summers ago. I was experimenting with techniques I learned during 85/86 at Mississippi State.

Mystic Landscape

2006-10-08T21:39:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10"

Backlit

2006-10-08T21:38:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10"

Caps

2006-10-08T21:34:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 10"

Flowerscape

2006-09-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

This is cropped. The original is longer.

acrylic on canvas, 18" x 36"

Acrylic Painting

2006-08-13T16:25:00.000-05:00

These four pieces were completed during the 1985 – 1986 school year at Mississippi State. “Middle Road” disappeared from my studio and “Fluorescence of Fish” sold in the early 90s.

When I took Painting II, I learned a lot about glazing acrylics. Even today, I still glaze layers of acrylics.

Middle Road

2006-08-13T15:51:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 34"

Fluorescence of Fish

2006-08-13T15:49:00.000-05:00

I believe this is the first painting in which I used vertical dripping paint as a way of hiding the imagery. I was trying to imply sea grass in front of the fish.

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 40"

Paisley Cascade

2006-08-13T15:45:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 24"x 50"

Bird Shapes

2006-07-09T22:39:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Into the Void

2006-07-09T22:38:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Shadows and Forms

2006-07-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Glow in the Void

2006-07-09T22:36:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"

Swirl Network

2006-07-09T22:34:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"

Glow Swirl

2006-07-09T22:30:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Organic Swirl

2006-07-09T22:29:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Swirl Cage

2006-07-09T22:27:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 16" x 20"

Eye

2006-06-25T22:17:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Separation

2006-06-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Spores

2006-06-25T22:14:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 9" x 12"

Cranium

2006-06-25T22:12:00.000-05:00

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"