Muddy Waters

I felt like putting this up, I haven't seen it in a little while. This was a piece I did a couple years ago, that was in a traveling exhibit and book (well the book didn't travel, I don't think), "The Greatest Album Covers That Never Were", which ended at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's a mixed media construction, of steel, wood (from an old picket fence) and the center image is Oil on a Wood Panel. 

When I bought the old picket fence (it was only about 6 feet long) at a swap meet, (and I don't know why he thought someone would buy it) he asked me, "What are you using it for?" When I said it was for an album cover I was making, he said, "Oh... for Wilson Pickett?"

Wish I'd thought of that.

Three Bells

This Painting, Three Bells, was recently in an exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of History,

Contemporary Masters, Artistic Eden II, that ran through April 11th.

Oil on Canvas, 14 x 18

Union

I found out after I did this and titled it, that the origin of the word "Onion" is French for Union.

Makes sense, but I didn't know it at the time.

My teenage daughter thought it looks like the MasterCard logo and wanted me to re-title it, "Priceless". 

She's a funny kid.

Ed Ruscha

Here's another of Ed Ruscha, from around the same time as the one of Paul. It was part of series I did several years ago of artists, actors and friends. Each person sat for me for no more than 2 hours (by design), and everyone was "treated' similarly, small and "cropped" like this one. I always liked this one of Ed, but it's owned by artist Don Bachardy, so I only had a small image to post from a photo. BTW, Don Bachardy's one of the best portraitists alive today. He painted mine twice, one 20 years ago and once recently. 

1988, Oil on Paper, image size, 6" x 8" approx.  

Paul Ruscha

Oil on Paper, approx. 12 x 18  Collection Paul Ruscha

I've been revisiting things lately. This is a relatively recent book by Paul Ruscha, the brother of artist Ed Ruscha, and an old friend of mine. Paul's a terrific artist and photographer in his own right, and here in his own WRITE, is a great recollection of his collections. The cover is a painting I did many years ago of Paul. He sat for me several times and slept through this sitting. It was his favorite and he's long owned it, and I was a pleasantly surprised to discover it was used as the cover.

It's a witty, funny and wonderfully written book. I recommend it to anyone, even if I weren't also mentioned within it. The stories about other artists are far more compelling than the brief one about me.

The image of the book here isn't so great; I attached one from an old slide I found. 

If you click on Paul's name at the top, it'll link to an Amazon page on the book.

2 Lemons

Not quite the same style as I've been doing lately, but I may go more this way for a while. Shake things up. For me anyway.

Oil on Board, 8 x 10. Private Collection

Curbs

Here's a detail of the painting below:

Curbs

I've never known what to call this series of paintings that I've done off an on for many years now. Some say "curb thingies", or curbsides. I usually refer to them as Street Still Lifes. Here's one.

Ten Years Later, Oil on Wood, 30 x 48

Persimmons

I had to replace one of the persimmons since they had all started to rot, but was able to finish it with my broken thumb still making it tough to hold a brush for long. But now my thumb's almost healed while the persimmons are long gone. What a fascinating story, huh? Riveting.

Oil on Board, 12 x 18

You always hurt the thumb you love

Not that anyone's reading this blog, because I haven't gotten it going really, but smashing my right thumb (I'm right handed) in my own car door a couple weeks ago hasn't helped matters. I fractured a bone and have been in a cast and splint since. I haven't been able to grip a brush, pencil or computer stylus well enough to work. Not being able to paint has bothered me the most. A still life I started is sitting there waiting for me to finish it. If persimmons could talk. But they seem to be holding up so far. If not, it'll be a painting of rotten persimmons.

Hi Again

Again, he says?

I sort of started this blog this summer but haven't had time to get it going. It seems nearly every artist has a blog now. And it also seems every artist and his brother is a "Daily Painter";  a relatively new phenomenon. I like that, and wish I could do it, but I don't have that kind of time, being a full-time Graphic Designer, although I was, and am a painter first. Speaking of time, I've been painting a long time. In fact, it was before color paints were introduced and we all had to work in black and white only.

So I was thinking I might (or might not) start a "Nightly Painter" movement.