New figure drawings

I took a break from my figure drawing sessions lately while traveling and deciding what to do with them. I have been however sketching almost every day to work on developing my own style I like. I'm working toward "light" pencil touch that may be finally working. Here are some of today's results. These are 9 x 12 or 8x 11.

Fourth flower painting

This 8 x 10 oil is the last of my current series of flower paintings of Magnuson Park. I also did a couple of mirrors using the same designs. Usually for the craft items I don't use original paintings but do interpretations of impressionist work, especially Monet but these floral paintings had a similar feel so I did them in acrylics on the mirrors.

I'm also still working on a time consuming project in my political art realm and realize it will take about 60 hours total time for a 32 x 40 work that I'm doing in wax. Will it be worth it? The image is a US flag with small X's for each fallen US soldier in the Iraq war. I see it as a protest rather than a tribute as I believe the war was unjustified from the start. As a Vietnam era veteran, I could see a false justification from the start and didn't think the Vietnam folly would be repeated in my lifetime but I was wrong. The artwork will be my attempt to shout about the needlessly X'd out lives.

Magnuson Park Flowers continued

This is another 8 x 10 oil of the flower gardens at Seattle's Magnuson Park. I have one more in the works to finish up.

Arizona painting

This is the fairly large, 18 x 38, oil I have been working from my Arizona landscapes. It's a view of the mountains behind Sedona. That's coffee pot rock on the right end of the mountain.

Have started a large project in wax also, part of my political protest art, and also have several more flower landscapes. Nothing like variety.

More Magnuson Park

Here is another 8 x 10 oil from my trip to Magnuson Park. The flowers were wonderful and I have several more works in progress.

Flowers

I took some photos at Seattle's Magnuson Park and am working on some small works from them. Also working toward the completion of a larger Arizona landscape and will post that soon. This is an 8 x 10 oil.

Have been out of town so only did a few wax paintings. Here is a retake of a painting I did in oils earlier as a 5x7 wax painting.

Visited a hot North Carolina but of course missed the hottest day of the year in Seattle. It's all in the timing. Training for my racewalking for a meet in Spokane next month and it's always hot there so hoping for hot weather here at home to be ready. Last time I did this meet it was in NC and was 119 degrees on the track during my 5K event. Needless to say, actual racing was out of the question as the first goal was to finish on my feet. Coming from Seattle is a definite disadvantage at hot weather venues.

Have a few other new works in progress and hope to make up for the gap here soon. Still a problem deciding what's worth doing as art these days. Have a few "political" works in progress too as a protest of what's happening in the world. Does a visual protest have any impact? The latest Art in America magazine had a good article about this issue.

I'm using symbols and combining them in unique ways to at least express my opinion as I only lightly engage the political process. I vote and write a few letters and help fund my preferred candidates but I'm not an activist otherwise.