Previous issues:
Fall 2003 | Summer 2003 | Spring 2003 | Winter 2002/03
Fall 2002 | Summer 2002 | Spring 2002 | Winter 2001/02
Fall 2001 | Summer 2001 | Spring 2001 | Winter 2000/01
Fall 2000 | Summer 2000 | Spring 2000 | Winter 1999/2000
Fall 1999 | Summer 1999 | Spring 1999 | Winter 1998/99
See the Gallery for some exciting detailed images of the artist's work.
Sunday, March 21, 2004 Vernal EquinoxWinter of 2004 has suddenly slammed closed, while I kept forgetting where I am and what time of year it is, here in sunny and pleasant Orlando, Florida. I just finished the last of the four Florida show, and a few paintings have found new homes. We're staying with the legendary Curtis Earth, and tomorrow we start our long zigzagging drive north, swinging first by Alabama to visit a client, then possibly to Atlanta to visit relatives, on to Chapel Hill to visit my brother and his family, finally onward to our new home. In the past week I spent some time with my great Uncle Ira and his wife Carol in Naples, and then drove across the state to visit my great aunt and uncle Beattie and Benny in Delray Beach for another overnight. What an amazing time, what amazing people. We drove through the everglades and saw bald eagles, storks, heron, egrets, pelicans and even a few armadillos scuttling about alongside the road. Maybe next time we'll finally see some alligators. Of course I'm numb from being on the road, and we're both craving the comfort of home again.
Read on...to Spring of 2004
Friday, March 12, 2004I thought I'd just drop you all a line to let everyone know I'm alive and well in warm and sunny Florida. Today we're in Bonita Springs, and in a few hours we'll be setting up for this weekend's show. Last weekend's show in Tampa was fun, but not very productive. On the upside, we enjoyed the time we spent at my father's place during the show. The downtime between shows seems to drag on, and I'm looking forward to wrapping all of this up and getting back home, and back to work.
Thursday, March 4, 2004We've been busy packing and moving for days now, on top of getting ready for our flight back to Florida to finish our tour of exhibitions. As excited as we are to be back on the road, we're just as excited to get back home and finish settling into the new place.
I'll try to post updates from the road if anything interesting happens, or maybe just to say hello. I'll be back sometime around March 25th or so.
Sunday, February 29, 2004 Leap Year DayI finally finished the painting of three chili peppers. Yeehaw.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Saturday, February 28, 2004Of course I'm not finished with the painting of three chili peppers.
I did receive an acceptance letter to the Wells Street Arts Festival in Chicago in June. Yeehaw.
Friday, February 27, 2004Among the ten thousand other things I managed to accomplish today, I did continue to work on the commission of chili peppers. I should see this painting finished tomorrow.
Thursday, February 26, 2004Today I bought a house.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004I spent yesterday and part of today working on what may be the last major project I undertake downstairs in the brewery. We pulled new computer network lines through the entire building, so I was able to crawl through every dusty corner of the entire place one last time.
With the last few hours of sunlight I slammed down some paint on a new composition of the chili peppers commission.
Monday, February 23, 2004My composition for the commissioned painting of chili peppers didn't fly with the client, so I scraped things out and spent most of today arranging and rearranging the peppers. Trying to compose them within a vertical format has proven to be quite the challenge, but I think I've found something. I ended the day mixing colors, and tomorrow should see the new painting start to take shape.
Sunday, February 22, 2004I'm finally back to work in the studio. I started a commissioned painting of dried chili peppers in an odd vertical format. I'll have to focus on many of the cues that will suggest the foreshortening of the image field, as I decided to leave the backdrop out of the composition. The biggest part of my challenge will be to defy the flatness of the graphic nature of the vertical cropping. And of course painting the facets and reflections of bright red chili peppers is no walk in the park either. All told, this should be an interesting painting.
Wednesday, February 18, 2004We're now back from Florida. We had a great time, seeing my brother and his family in Chapel Hill, staying with Curtis Earth in Orlando for a night, seeing many of our friends from the circuit at the show, including Richard Harrington, Luca Battaglia, David Gordon and Grant Silverstein. The drive across the everglades was pretty amazing as well, and we even saw my father in Tampa for two hours before we left to catch our flight. The van was left at the airport while we flew back for two weeks, and then we'll return to finish the last three shows in March. The phone was immediately ringing as we woke up this morning. Suddenly things are coming together as we approach settlement on the house, and tomorrow I have to retrieve some work from the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a viewing for a client. I'm hoping to be painting again on Friday once things get settled. If all goes well, I may own a new house by the end of next week.
Friday, February 13, 2004We're finally here in Coconut Grove, Florida, just south of downtown Miami. We managed to set up the booth despite the amazing heat, and we're just starting to get used to the fabulous eighty degree weather. Tonight will be a chance to finally get a full night's sleep in preparation for an early start on the first day of the show. We're both looking forward to tomorrow.
Tuesday, February 10, 2004We're almost finished packing, the van is almost totally loaded, the loose ends are almost all tied together, and I'm completely exhausted. We're on the road as early as possible tomorrow morning. I'll try to update the journal if anything newsworthy happens over the weekend. I'll be back home on the evening of Tuesday, February 17th.
Monday, February 9, 2004I finished the two small paintings of granny smith apples.
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Click on the images to see larger versions.After tossing these paintings into a corner I immediately left to pick up frames in Philadelphia. On the way out the door I picked up my mail, and found a rejection letter from the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, for the second year in a row. I'm feeling just a little deflated as I continue to pull all the loose ends together for my trip to Miami in two days.
Sunday, February 8, 2004I'm almost finished with the two small paintings of granny smith apples.
Heather and I spent most of the day working out details of the upcoming weeks. It's getting to be a very exciting thing, to be on the road again, heading off for a distant show in a new town, in a different climate. The next few days will be busy, as I pick up more frames in Philadelphia tomorrow afternoon, and on Tuesday I'm getting some work done on the van in preparation for the trip.
Saturday, February 7, 2004I started mixing colors for a pair of small paintings of green apples against the green background again. I managed to block in the colors and start breaking up the surface before darkness fell. I'm now at the point where the odds are against anything I finish being dry in time to take along to Miami when I leave on Wednesday, so these paintings are truly being done in the pure spirit of fun and exploration.
Friday, February 6, 2004I finished the painting of yellow tulips.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Thursday, February 5, 2004I continued working on the painting of yellow tulips. I would have finished it if the sky hadn't darkened with the impending snow storm.
Wednesday, February 4, 2004Yesterday was dark and overcast, but today I made up for it by getting a good start on the new painting of yellow tulips against a yellow background. Tomorrow should see this painting hopefully coming down the home stretch.
Monday, February 2, 2004 Groundhog DayI finished the painting of three granny smith apples against a green background.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I immediately started mixing colors for a new painting of yellow tulips against a yellow background. Tomorrow should be a fun day as I start throwing some paint around.
Sunday, February 1, 2004I'm almost finished with this painting of green apples on green. I'll just need to block in a few big areas tomorrow, and then I'm ripping the canvas off of the easel and hurling it across the room to dry. Badda bing.
Saturday, January 31, 2004I continued to work on the painting of green apples against a green background. It's really starting to look like something. Today I picked up some bright yellow tulips at the Central Market, so as soon as I nail this painting down I'll be doing another floral piece.
I got an acceptance letter for Arts in the Park in Richmond, Virginia, in May.
Friday, January 30, 2004I finished the three small paintings of individual royal gala apples. See The Gallery to view the finished paintings.
I immediately started on a mid sized painting of three granny smith apples against a deep green background. About a year ago I toyed with the idea of painting a subject against a very similar background color, and finally I have a chance to try it. So far I've made a solid start, and it looks like it will be an interesting and challenging painting experience.
Two days ago I caught up with an old art school friend of mine, after searching for his name and finding a website showcasing his paintings. After corresponding with him briefly back and forth by email, I find myself thinking back to who and how I was in art school. Today I recalled a series of all night chess marathons we had. All of the top students of the fine arts program were procrastinating on preparations for our final critiques by having endless chess tournaments, night after night. Crazy kids we were.
On a side note, I saw on the Cherry Creek Arts Festival website that I was not accepted for this year's show. Hopefully this one big hole in the summer season doesn't get any bigger.
Thursday, January 29, 2004The paintings of royal gala apples are almost finished. I'll make short work of these early in tomorrow's session, in time to start something else.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004I started throwing some paint around on these three small paintings of individual royal gala apples. Things are off to a good start, and I'll work the surface up tomorrow, possibly seeing these finished.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004I finished the painting of three royal gala apples.
Click here to see a larger picture of the finished painting.I immediately started mixing colors for three individual small paintings of each of the apples of this setup.
Monday, January 26, 2004I continued to work on the new painting of three royal gala apples. The light was fairly poor, as the sky threatened more and more snow and rain on top of the accumulation from last night and the weekend. I'll be blocking in some big areas tomorrow, and making just a few more big adjustments, and then I'll call this piece finished.
Here's a nice quote from Pope John Paul, upon seeing a performance of break dancers performing at the Vatican while he watched from a raised throne. "Artistic talent is a gift...and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it," John Paul said.
Amen, brother.
Sunday, January 25, 2004I started on a small painting of three royal gala apples. I'm going to try to finish this painting tomorrow.
Friday, January 23, 2004The painting is finished, and now I'm racing out the door to attend an opening featuring a few of my paintings at the DeBottis Gallery in West Chester. And hoo boy, I'm exhausted.
Click on the image to see a larger version.
Thursday, January 22, 2004The painting is almost finished, but I'm ending the session early to race out the door to Philadelphia where I'll be repairing a client's painting, and then meeting up with Heather and some friends to see the Old 97s.
I got her love on my brain, like getting hit by a train...she's gonna kill me....
Wednesday, January 21, 2004I made a good start on a new painting of yellow tulips against a yellow background. It feels good to squeeze out half of a tube of cadmium yellow and whip it up into all these bright colors. Tomorrow should be a good day, as I continue to carve out more color and definition.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004Yesterday I felt that I had a rockin painting on my hands, but today I crashed and burned. I got bound up in detail and rendering, but I did manage to stop myself before it was totally gone. I'll come back to this subject again in a few days and see if I can't nail it down a little faster, and hopefully know when to stop.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I immediately started mixing colors for a painting of a bouquet of yellow tulips against a yellow background, just to celebrate my new acquisition of yellow paint.
I checked my stats this morning and realized that most people visiting my website are using Internet Explorer, and that most of these pages wind up with obnoxious large oversized type with that browser. I'm busy trying to find a cross platform setting that will look reasonable in both Netscape and IE. And it is always an uphill battle. I'll welcome any input on this subject.
Monday, January, 19, 2004Between visiting the dentist and then running Heather back to Philadelphia, I made it back to the studio with less than an hour of daylight to throw some paint around. In the fading light of day I did find some interesting colors in the foreground and background, and after nailing down a few more areas of color I should be done with this painting tomorrow.
Happy birthday to my good friend, the pop artist Jeff Schaller.
Sunday, January 18, 2004I ripped into an exciting new painting of three gala apples. It's nice to see some different colors spread across my palette for a change. I set up a yellow background just to reflect some color into the white that surrounds the subjects. Tomorrow should see this painting snap into shape, and possibly even being finished.
Saturday, January 17, 2004I finished the painting of three granny smith apples.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I started arranging and rearranging some objects, getting ready to paint something yellow. Before I could start mixing any colors, the sky grew dark. Something will start happening tomorrow.
Friday, January 16, 2004I made some good progress on the new painting of granny smith apples. It is very close to being finished, but the light faded before I could articulate some of the colors that describe the reflections on the curves of the apples. Tomorrow should see a few areas blocked in and reconstructed, and then I'll be moving on to another painting.
It sure does seem as though I'm executing the exact same painting all over again, but each time I immerse myself in a rendition of the same subject I find that I'm reaching further into my understanding of color.
Thursday, January 15, 2004I finished the painting of granny smith apples.
Click on the image to see a larger version.And before the dust settled, I immediately started on another painting of a similar setup. I'd like to see this new painting hammered down in record time, just to see it finally captured with simplicity and facility.
On a side note, I just got my first shipment of eight big tubes of cadmium yellow. As the temperature outside drops down to zero, I can hardly wait to dive into something warm and yellow for my next endeavor.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004I'm almost finished with the new granny smith apple painting. Everything is now a great struggle, as I seem to be coming down with the same infection Heather had a week ago. I'm getting a head start on treatment with antibiotics, but the work of painting seems even more strenuous than normal. I'm hoping I can continue to paint throughout the next few days. We shall see.
Tuesday, January 13, 2004I started on a smaller painting of three granny smith apples. Of course at this early point it doesn't feel like anything special, but by tomorrow I should be carving out some interesting colors, and hopefully start having some fun again.
Monday, January 12, 2004I finished the new painting of red and yellow tulips.
Click on the image to see a larger version.Tomorrow I'll dive into another series of granny smith apples against a light blue background, while continuing to wait for my shipments of yellow paint to arrive.
Somewhere in the world, everything is yellow, while here, everything is dark and blue.
Sunday, January 11, 2004I continued to make good progress on the new painting of red and yellow tulips. Things quickly snapped together, and I should be just about finished with this piece tomorrow.
Heather is all but completely recovered, and I'll probably be returning her to Philadelphia tomorrow. Although I know she was pretty uncomfortable for most of this week, I did enjoy having her here with me.
Saturday, January 10, 2004I managed to get a good start on the new painting of red and yellow tulips.
Friday, January 9, 2004Today I started mixing colors for another painting of yet another bouquet of red and yellow tulips. I'm not sure if this bouquet survived the past week in the refrigerator, so I'm holding off on throwing some paint down on the canvas until I see how they're holding up tomorrow.
Thursday, January 8, 2004The painting is indeed finished.
Click on the image to see a larger version.I spent most of the day in West Chester, looking over the house with the building inspector. I'm a little disheartened with the number of issues he uncovered, but my agent seems to be genuinely entertained that the bargaining table will once again be alive with color and commentary. And in the middle of it all, my agent pointed out a bright red fox scampering across the lawn, and through the brush down to the lake. It seemed to be smiling like a happy little dog. Like a happy little dog that lives in the woods on the hill over the lake. Bizarre.
Wednesday, January 7, 2004The painting is finally finished, or at least almost finished, or I'll have one more look at it tomorrow, and then decide if it really is finished. I really hope that it's actually completely finished.
Tuesday, January 6, 2004I finally had a sunny day, and made a valiant attempt to resuscitate this painting from days of inactivity. Things are getting crazy as I slathered paint onto the canvas, quickly carving out definition and color. The tulips will be ready to give up at about the same time I should be finished with this painting tomorrow.
Monday, January 5, 2004Since starting this painting on Friday the sun has failed to make any consistent appearances. I've been trying to work on this painting despite it all, but I can tell I'm only finding muted colors within the muted light. On top of all this, I made an emergency run to Philadelphia on Saturday night to retrieve Heather, who has suddenly become very ill. While she is showing some improvement, it seems that she now has what appears to be scarlet fever as a rash is breaking out over her entire body. I know the itching must be driving her crazy, and of course I'm hoping I don't catch what she has.
Friday, January 2, 2004I picked up two bouquets of tulips today, and immediately started off the new year with a mid-sized painting of tulips against a light blue background.
I've been waiting for almost two months now for a shipment of cadmium yellow, and now I'm finding that none of my suppliers have monster tubes of cadmium yellow in stock, in any of the more respectable brands. As long as this phenomenon continues I'll have to avoid painting anything that requires any substantial study of yellow. This is a shame, because I have gala apples and bosc pears on my counter that are destined to become nothing more than fruit smoothies.
Wednesday, December 31, 2003 New Year's EveOn the final day of the 2003 I signed and dated yet one more painting, wrapping up a colorful and productive year.
Click on the image to see a larger version.Now I'm racing out the door to Philadelphia, to hold Heather as the big odometer of time turns over one more digit.
And greatest thanks to everyone, you all know who you are. Happy new year.
Tuesday, December 30, 2003As the year spirals down to a close I started a small canvas of two granny smith apples for a tentative commission. This should be the piece where I can really sink my teeth into carving out some fun colors while studying the subject in a more generous size.
Sunday, December 28, 2003The paintings are finished. Visit The Gallery to see finished images of these paintings.
Saturday, December 27, 2003I continued to work on the two small canvases of the same three granny smith apples. I should be finished with these paintings tomorrow. There are things I'd like to learn from this subject, but I can't see it happening on such small canvases.
Friday, December 26, 2003For lack of any good flowers at Central Market I decided to simultaneously paint two small canvases of the same three granny smith apples. I made a good start, and will hopefully see these nailed down tomorrow. I continually hear requests for smaller works, so I'm trying to capture the power and passion and angst of my larger works on some of these teensy little canvases. Maybe it will work, or maybe my head will explode. We shall see.
Thursday, December 25, 2003 Christmas DayI spent the afternoon finishing the three small paintings of granny smith apples. I found a cool blues station on XM Radio playing nothing but traditional blues Christmas songs. The real treat is having Heather here. We're both wearing our pajamas all day and sipping wine, while I painted throughout the afternoon. The light was fairly poor, so I didn't get to really sink my teeth into my new exploration of blue. There's a good chance I may hit this subject just one more time before moving on. I'll see what flowers are available at Central Market in the morning as well. Either way, I'm looking forward to starting another painting.
Yesterday I made my deliveries in the dark and rainy afternoon, bringing thrills and excitement to two different homes. Seeing the happiness I brought to two new clients made my heart swell to three times its normal size. I picked Heather up in the city in between the deliveries, and we had Christmas Eve dinner of grilled octopus at Zorba's in Philadelphia before the long drive to her apartment and then here to the studio.
And just to top everything off, as I was getting the last piece framed and loaded into the van I got the phone call that my offer on the house was finally accepted. I'll have two weeks to get an inspector in to go over everything, and then we start zooming in on the settlement at the end of next month. I'll be busy painting in preparation for an ambitious show schedule throughout everything, but at some point in early spring I'll be making the final move to the cool new house in the woods on the hill over the lake.
Tuesday, December 23, 2003I kicked off the winter season by continuing to work on the series of three small paintings of granny smith apples. For some reason I starting seeing a new quality to the blues within the greens of these apples, after painting them repeatedly over the past two weeks. I almost feel as though my color palette can't quite capture this elusive quality of blue. Of course I'll just keep trying.
If you find yourself hungering for yet more dramatization of the angst of a painter, see Fall 2003 for the previous season's struggles.
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