Entries accepted in Unclad Show

Had my two entries for the figure show, Unclad, at the Gallery by the Bay in Stanwood, WA accepted by the juror. One is the Reflections shown on the Dec. 26th blog entry and the other is the included 16x20 oil called Solitude. Show runs March 12-27. Also participated in this show last year even though figures are not my specialty.

EAFA Abstract Show

I had two works selected to be shown in the 1st Annual Eastside Assoc. of Fine Arts abstract art show at the Seattle Design Center. 68 were selected from 250 entries and both my entries made it in. The show goes on until Feb. 25. Here is one of the works. It's a 24 x 24 oil titled Red Bird.

New figures in wax

I've combined three works into one here, each one successively smaller, by attaching them, one on top of the other. It gives the feeling of reflections in a series of mirrors although the figures are not the same, but they are split images of the same figure at the edges, in the two larger figures. The small figure is very faded and indistinct. This continues my split figure work from last year. The work is 15x22 overall with 9x12, and then 5x7, contained in the larger work.

Two new wax paintings

Here are two scenes of a California Creek I visited a few years ago. Larger, top one, is 9x12 and painted with a combination of oils and wax or encaustic. Other is 5x7 done solely with the wax medium. The wax lets me get a texture and polished gloss that I can't do as well in oils. I need to experiment with more mediums in oils to get some gloss as I go along to balance the colors better versus waiting for a final varnish coat.

Journey painting

Here's another view of the new work. You can see I'm smiling because it's done.....

Journey work completed

I've finally completed my work based on Spencer Wells' book, Journey of Man. The work is done in encaustic, or wax, and is 28x40, and comprised of 2,210 small figures to represent the 50-60,000 years, or about 2,000 plus generations since all men had the same ancestor. It's a fascinating story, traced through our DNA by Wells. He also shows the migrations out of Africa for mankind. The attribute we call race is really a modern construct, based on exposure to sun depending on where we migrated to, and genetic isolation and mutation. We are all brothers at the beginning of this journey, yet find race a reason to hate each other. On top of that we've added religion and nationalism to our original tribal conflicts. It seems as we move forward, we find more reasons for hate. I tried to express our relationships and love in this work.

New small landscapes

Have been busy with a new long term art project, involving 2,200 small images so only a few landscapes lately as also travelled visiting relatives. Only did carry on so found I could fit the 5 tubes of paint I needed, red, yellow, blue, white, and gel, into the little baggies allowed for liquids on airplanes. It's a good exercise to limit yourself to just the three primaries.

The larger project has taken me from mid-September to now at about an hour a night whenever I've been home. Work is in encaustic and tedious so an hour is about all I can do at a sitting. Will post it when I'm done, about Thankgiving week I hope.

The landscapes are all 5x7 done in oils and are various scenes from Hawaii, Seattle, and Oregon. The images are:

Green Lake Snow

Magnuson Park Road

Kauai Beach

Oregon Haystack Rocks