Rock Circles at Playa

 In addition to painting while at Playa, I stuffed small stones into my pockets while walking back and forth from my cabin to the main building along the seemingly gray gravel paths. During my first visit I had made a long row showing the intense variation in rock color. This time I converted that idea into a kind of color wheel. I did a small version in my studio (see this post), then turned it into a larger one on a concrete platform atop small hillock near some of the cabins. I also made a black and white circle in a gravelled area up on a nearby hill across the road from the residency. The black and white circle kind of reminded me of the cold ashes of a fire-pit which ties in nicely with the paintings. Doing these was a pleasant, almost meditative way to leave something behind.

Small studies from the Field Museum

While in Chicago the family went to the field Museum of Natural History. And while they had some pretty interesting state of the art special exhibitions going on, nothing beats the taxidermy specimens and dioramas from the days of old in my book. Here's three small oil studies on paper based on some.

oil on gessoed paper 11" x 17"

oil on gessoed paper 11" x 15"

oil on gessoed paper 17" x 11"

Identified Flying Object

 "Reflection of a Ceiling Lamp in a Cabin Window"

oil on gessoed 12" x 18" watercolor paper

It's been slow going getting back to work after my show in June. I knocked out this small oil on paper for my own amusement and, to be honest, just as an excuse to get back in the studio and do something... anything...

Although it may not be the most sophisticated conceptual framework it could be fun to do a whole series of Identified Flying Objects. I did a few more small oils on paper for the show just before the opening which I did not have time to scan. They did not sell (bad for me) so I'll get them back at some point and post them here soon (good for blog).

Bigfoot Journey

"Bigfoot Journey"  triptych  oil on canvas paper  12" x 16" each

I did these more to entertain myself than as a serious attempt to make art. They're not very well crafted (I never have been much of a painter's painter). But they do amuse me so in that I guess they're a success. I'm not sure I want to include them in my June show. I'd be very curious to know what other people thought. Anyone?

(You can click on the image to view it larger)

Chair Paintings at home

The owner of my painting "Loser" from way back in 2006 or something, commissioned these two small chair paintings to accompany it. It was a great idea. Here's what she wrote when she emailed me the photo, which I thought was a good insightful description of the whole deal:

Hi David, here is a photo of the paintings together. They work well. There is a whole other layer to the narrative of the main painting now, which I really like (as I think I noted to you earlier, I was looking for almost a forensic deconstruction--something has clearly happened in the main painting & the out takes are an attempt to piece together the events. The chairs themselves are pieces of evidence, yet what they tell us is ambiguous). I'm very pleased with the result and hope it was a fun exercise for you. Strange isn't it, how things evolve--but good, layers are good.

Best regards,
Kerri

finished chairs

A simple commission of two chairs for the owner of my old painting "Loser". To be shipped off this weekend hopefully. Thanks Kerri.

a new theater piece

I don't have a name for it yet but just got it stretched today, and feeling good about it for right now.
34" x 50"

2 Chairs

After waaaayyy too much time I'm finally getting around to a very simple commission. Two small chair studies to accompany an old painting ("Loser") from 2006 I think. Here's the painting and the 2 new studies in progress: