Second Draft

24" x 24" — Oil/Canvas — 2008
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I'm calling this piece Second Draft. The first time I painted this old Remington (only a few weeks ago) it appeared on a very dark background. Unfamiliar territory. So I fretted and stirred and resolved myself by painting it a second time in more familiar territory. I'm sure I'll experiment further with other tones in the background but it's a slow process.

Goodbye 2008. I'm glad to see you go, you miserable year with your dismal news headlines. I plan on hiding in my studio doing the best work I possibly can for 2009. I'm actually optimistic about that.

Saying "Happy New Year" doesn't feel empty and pointless this year. I really, truly hope it is a Happy New Year.

Some Paintings - 2008

This is a small sample of some paintings completed in 2008. I thought it would be nice to make a presentation in video. I uploaded a high quality version to YouTube, so if you have broadband, please click the "watch in high quality" link directly below the video on the YouTube site because there's nothing worse than witnessing your paintings turn into a fuzzy, washed-out mess in a video. Still, I think it's pretty cool to have this tool at my fingertips.

Eventually (I stress eventually) I want to make some videos of the paintings in progress. Major hurdles include being a control freak and not owning a camera to record the process.

You Never Know Unless You Try

20" x 24" — Oil/Canvas — 2008

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There's no shortage of those stories of people who wanted to do something other than what they are doing, or did for the entire life, like writing a novel, learning to play an instrument, traveling, etc. So many things complicate life, preventing dreams from taking shape. Responsibilities, people and events all put the kibosh on passions. Subscribing to the simple philosophy of "just do it" seems almost terrifyingly simple, so brazen and lacking foresight. It's as if people are happier if things are really complicated because that complication can help squelch the little voice in your head that reminds you that you once had dreams.

Jar of Crayons & Fork

8" x 8" — Oil/Canvas — 2008
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Southwest Art Magazine

My friend Karin Jurick already mentioned on her blog that she spotted my work, along with another friend of mine, Neil Hollingsworth, in the November 2008 issue of Southwest Art Magazine.

I'm on the bottom right of the left page (the bubble gum machine). Neil's work is the PB&J on the top left of the left page.

It's kind of exciting to see your work in a publication.

Profile of a Typewriter

24" x 30" — Oil/Canvas — 2008
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This is a big departure from pears. Much more complicated, but a blast to paint. It's an Underwood #5. Gigantic and heavy. My wife found if for me at an estate sale. It's useless and entirely broken, but you can't tell in painted form.

I once came across a piece of computer software designed for writers that has the intention of trying to somehow eliminate the plethora of distractions the computer offers. The idea is that if you're a writer, sitting down to get some work done can be difficult when everything in the world seems like an easy double-click away.

Once upon a time writers had only either a pen and paper or a simple typewriter. A blank page was a blank page. Judging by the way things are now, it would appear we're losing our ability to focus. Sitting in front of a blank page with no browser icon to double-click would have required tremendous focus.