THE DIGITAL CANVAS

Carry Me Away

2012-02-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

I have been working on this one for some time, I guess I needed to find a stopping point, so here is the finished piece. "Carry me Away" is a 11X14 digital painting, printed on Kodak Matte paper and matted on mat board. - $125.00 includes shipping in the US.

The Circle Game

2012-01-27T23:03:00.000-05:00

Abstract in black and white, "The Circle Game" is my new digital painting, printed on Kodak matte paper matted on foam core board. 11X14 - For sale for $125.00 includes shipping to US.

Energy Burst

2012-01-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

Just finished up this painting I have been working on all week. I have been sick all week with a cold from hell! Didn't have much energy to work, so just did a little at a time. This is a 12X18 digital painting, printed on Kodak Matte paper and mounted on mat board. $175.00 including shipping in the US. -

Putting on your own show.

2012-01-17T12:42:00.000-05:00

Like most artists, I am always looking for a place to show my work. I have been fortunate to be a member of the Essex Art League and the Northern Vermont Artist Association, and they have several group shows a year. But nothing is quite like a solo show of your own work.

A few years ago, I received a copy of "Taking the Leap", Building a Career as a visual artist by Cay Lang. This book was a fantastic read, but the chapter on putting on your own exhibitions was the most helpful.

Since 2009, I have put on one solo show a year by securing the Northgate Community Hall for a one day show, held on a Sunday. I print up postcards, invite all my friends, have each of them bring someone, and hang 25-30 pieces of my art for a one day show with appetizers. Each show introduces my work to new people, and each show I have averaged 9-12 paintings sold.

This years show was even better with 16 sold!

So if you are an artist looking to show your work, don't sit around waiting to be discovered, take matters into your own hands, rent a venue and put on a show! It is worth the effort.

Summer Scene

2012-01-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

I thought I would paint a summer scene. It will be my personal "January thaw". I don't do very many landscapes, but I just wanted a change, so here is my new work "Oakledge Park".

Consuming Fire

2012-01-09T11:23:00.000-05:00

I just finished my new abstract digital painting "Consuming fire". Hebrews 12:9 say's "Our God is a consuming fire". Quite often my faith comes through in my art. I don't consider myself a "religious artist", but issues of a person's faith does affect their lives and that means our art work as well. I am an emotional painter. Much of my work comes out of what I am thinking about.

This painting came out of a conversation I had with a homeless man who has a very strong faith in God and he was sharing with me that what keeps him going is the all consuming love of God, and Hebrews 12:9 was his life verse, that which gives him hope.

The Girl in Black

2012-01-06T00:09:00.000-05:00

I just finished this portrait, I will call it "The girl in black". It started out as a quick sketch, then evolved into this digital painting.

Rotation

2012-01-01T12:30:00.000-05:00

I just put the finishing touches on my first painting for 2012! I took much of the month of December off to enjoy the holidays and take a long needed rest. I am excited about this new year, looking forward to the creative challenges that lay ahead.

The Leader

2011-12-05T13:19:00.000-05:00

This is my latest painting. "The Leader". Something we need in the country of ours, a good leader who will listen to the American People, put politics aside and work to make our country great again! OK, off my soapbox. This is probably my last painting for 2011. I want to take some time off to enjoy Christmas this year. I want to experience the magic and wonder of this great holiday!

12x18 Digital Painting printed on Kodak Matte Paper and mounted on matte board. - $150.00

Victory

2011-11-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

I like to experiment and doodle. Sometimes you end up with something you like. This is one of those times. This digital painting is called simply "Victory". Victory is a powerful word. I am reminded of all the things I have been victorious over during my life. I could of ended up on the streets, in jail or even dead. But I have been able to be victorious over so much because of God and my interests, in art, photography, and a desire to persue my dreams.

Daydream Believer

2011-11-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

Just finished my new abstract. This is one of those times that the painting seemed to take on a life of it's own. This was a long process, a lot of hours but I very much like what it has become.

Heads will Roll

2011-11-14T01:00:00.000-05:00

Something a little dark, something new I did today, "Heads Will Roll".

Mystic Winter

2011-11-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

This is a companion piece to my last painting, "Mystic Summer" This one is called "Mystic Winter" Winter will be here before we know it.

Digital painting printed on Kodak Matte Photo paper and mounted on foam core- 11X14 - $125.00 -

Mystic Summer

2011-11-05T01:44:00.000-04:00

New painting right off the digital easel! "Mystic Summer", thinking back to summer, for me it has been a time of self reflection, a journey inward, long overdue.

The Laugh

2011-10-27T11:44:00.000-04:00

Just finished my new abstract "The Laugh". The original title is "The Laugh heard around the world", is based on Psalm 59:8

"But you O Lord, laugh at them; you hold all nations in derision".

I was thinking about man's arrogance how we claim to speak for God, we claim to be God, and so foolishly claim that God does not exist. I can picture in my mind God having a big laugh at the foolishness of His own creation, yet His Love and mercy is always extended to those who are wise enough to know that we need His help.

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Stone building

2011-10-19T14:28:00.000-04:00

I haven't done a landscape painting in quite a while. My focus these days are abstracts and portraits, but I like doing a landscape every now and then. So here is my newest painting, "Stone building with trees".

Digital Canvas show

2011-10-12T16:30:00.000-04:00

Digital Canvas - Sunday, October 16, at the Northgate Community Hall, 275 Northgate Road in Burlington. - 3-6pm.

I will be showing 25 or so of my newest digital art for this year. This is a one day show, refreshments will be served.

Please come and celebrate with me as I share my newest body of work.

Black and White #1

2011-10-06T14:53:00.000-04:00

Most of my abstracts are in color. That is why I do abstracts because I can experiment with color as well as shape and form. But I do like black and white, and I do a lot of black and white with portraits. I have experimented with black and white abstracts, and this one I just finished for my upcoming show.

Black and White #1 - 11X14 Digital Painting printed on Kodak Matte Endura Paper. Limited edition print $125.00 including shipping in the US.

Portrait of Haley

2011-10-01T15:53:00.000-04:00

A brand new portrait I just finished today. The model for this portrait is Haley. We went out and shot about 30 photos, I used 4 of them for a reference to do this portrait.

Evolution

2011-09-26T22:55:00.000-04:00

A new abstract I just finished. "Evolution" has been a work in progress for sometime, so I finally found a stopping place and will declare it finished.

This is a 11X14 digital painting printed on Kodak Matte Endura paper. $125.00 includes shipping.

Portrait in black and white

2011-09-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

Just another portrait, experimenting with black and white.

Portrait of Avalon

2011-09-19T13:03:00.000-04:00

I just finished this digital portrait. This will be in my Digital Canvas show on Sunday, October 16 at the Northgate Community Hall in Burlington. I will be having a one day only solo show featuring new works. Reception will be 3-6 pm. if you live in the Burlington, Vermont area, drop by and see my new body of work, mostly abstracts but will feature a few portraits!

The Portal

2011-09-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

Rainy days can be productive days to do art. With all the rain we had this year, I have done more paintings than ever. This one, my latest is called "The Portal".

This is a 11X14 limited edition print on Kodak Endura Matte Paper. It is for sale, shipping included in price. - $125.00

Illusion

2011-09-13T04:49:00.000-04:00

My latest abstract "Illusion". I had fun with this, took some time, but I finally found a stopping place and declared it finished!

Working with digital gives me so much freedom and so much room for experimentation. This is a limited edition print - 11X14 printed on Kodak Endura Matte Paper - $125.00 including shipping.

Art Hop - Girl in Blue

2011-09-09T10:04:00.001-04:00

I will be showing 6 of my portraits at this years South End Art Hop. This is one of the portraits, "The Girl in Blue". The South End Art Hop is this weekend, starts today, feauturing the art of over 500 artist in over 100 venues, being one of the largest art gatherings in Vermont. I look forward to this every year.

Actually it was the 2007 Art Hop that I first showed my work, and it was this event I chose to launch my new direction from photography to digital painting and digital art and to do shows.

My work will be at VCAM Studios, 208 Flynn Ave, Studio 2G in Burlington. come on down to the hop for a great weekend of art, come down and see my work as well as many other wonderful artists and you can even take in a fashion show, "Strut", featuring many great local designers.

Winds of Change

2011-09-05T15:05:00.000-04:00

This is my my newest digital abstract painting, "Winds of Change". It is printed on Kodak Endura Matte Paper. - 11X14 - $125.00 including shipping.

Inside the Paranormal

2011-09-01T23:24:00.000-04:00

Another abstract in my paranormal series entitled "Inside the Paranormal". This piece is an 11X14 Digital Painting, printed on Kodak Endura Matte Paper, signed by the artist. This is for sale shipping included for $120.00

Shuffle

2011-08-29T23:09:00.000-04:00

I was just experimenting and doing some doodling and came up with this. It reminded me of cards being shuffled in a deck, so that is what I will call it.

This is a 11X14 digital painting printed on Kodak Supra matte paper. $125.00 including shipping in the US.

Tree Trunks

2011-08-25T13:32:00.000-04:00

This started off as just doodling but I began to really like what was coming forth. This reminds me of all the times I have spent in the forest, just looking at the tall trees which to me seemed to stand guard.

This is an original digital painting printed on Kodak Matt Paper, 11X14 - $150.00 including shipping in the US.

The Ripple Effect

2011-08-21T23:31:00.001-04:00

My latest abstract. I used colors I don't use very often. I am not sure where I am going creatively, so I am in an experimental mode lately. This is a digital painting printed on Kodak Endura Matte paper. 11X14 - $125.00 including shipping (US Only)

Stripes

2011-08-18T11:59:00.000-04:00

I had a lot of fun doing this digital painting. Lately, a lot of my inspiration comes from the Fauvism period, as well as painters like Paul Gauguin, and Paul Cezanne. I like the use of bold colors and to be able to experiment

Urban Grid

2011-08-15T11:58:00.000-04:00

Something new for me, entirely of black and white. This was inspired by urban building projects of high rise buildings.

The March

2011-08-11T12:24:00.000-04:00

My new abstract, "The March". I spent quite a bit of time on this one. I use a lot of movements in my paintings, and I believe I have captured movement in this piece.

The Beyond

2011-08-08T17:05:00.000-04:00

I finished this abstract a month ago but struggled with a title. I wanted something spiritual, that was my intention for this piece, but a good title alluded me. I have settled for "The Beyond'. I like it, it suits the intent of the abstract.

Recycle Bin

2011-08-04T22:35:00.000-04:00

Just finished this new abstract. The other day I happened to glance at the recycle bin and noticed out of the corner of my eye different colored articles in there. The colors were pleasing in an abstract way, thus the inspiration for this piece. You just never know where inspiration will come from!

Dreamscape

2011-08-01T08:54:00.000-04:00

I just finished working on this new work. This piece went through several changes before I stopped here. There is something about the color orange that attracts me.

"The Flow"

2011-07-28T11:02:00.000-04:00

My new abstract "the Flow" is one of the pieces I created when I retreated into my studio during the recent heat wave. Though it was hard not going outside, it did allow me some uninterrupted time to work on my art.

The Dance

2011-07-24T15:45:00.000-04:00

My newest abstract "The Dance". I use movement a lot in my art. I like the way it flows.

All of my art is for sale, just e-mail me if interested. Different sizes are available as all of my art is digital.

Marsh at night

2011-07-21T10:35:00.000-04:00

Just finished with this new digital painting. It is sort of abstract. Frequently I have seen some marshes at night, with the moon light shimmering on the surface of the water. I always love to see this when conditions are right. It always looks somewhat black and white.

Manifestation

2011-07-18T08:55:00.000-04:00

My latest abstract with a paranormal theme, "Manifestation". There are times when we can make out a face in the clouds, or in a fogged up mirror, or on the wall at night. Are they real, or are our eyes playing tricks on us.

Exposed

2011-07-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

My new abstract, "Exposed". Sometimes we don't know what is there until we rip or tear or pull something apart. Like an earthquake revealing a secret stream, or a hidden painting when someone tears down a wall to renovate.

Upheaval

2011-07-10T23:44:00.000-04:00

I just finished this digital abstract painting, "Upheaval". With everything going on in the world, the financial, the political, the confusion, we are in a time of upheaval, thus this painting. This is a 11X14 on Kodak supra matte paper. It is for sale, if interested in purchasing it, just let me know.

Study in Brown#2

2011-07-08T01:29:00.000-04:00

Hot off the digital canvas, my new abstract. I thought I would play with brown on this one.

Digital Painting, 11X14 on Kodak Endura Matte Paper - $125.00

Riding The Current

2011-07-05T00:14:00.000-04:00

After a week off, here is my newest painting "Riding the Current". During this Fourth of July Celebration, themes of freedom is the buzz word. But I was thinking about how easy it is for anyone to get caught up in the rhetoric of politics, religion, nationalism or other ism's. Sometimes in doing so, we give up the freedom to think for ourselves and to check out what is true that circulates around the web and ends up in our inboxes and how we so easily believe something without checking facts.

This abstract for sale for $125.00. 11X14 digital art on kodak supra matte professional paper.

Expression#2

2011-06-28T13:49:00.000-04:00

Expression #2 is a 11X14 digital print. I created this abstract a year ago and am offering it for sale this week only for $125.00, which includes shipping in the USA.

Printed on Kodak Endura Silk paper and personally signed.

Self Portrait - Day 7

2011-06-25T10:57:00.000-04:00

I have never done a self portrait so I chose this for day 7 of my portrait challenge. This has been quite a challenging seven days.

Portrait - Day 6 of 7

2011-06-24T01:03:00.000-04:00

Just finished with this portrait. I will call it "Day Dreaming". Just one more day, one more portrait to finish my seven portraits in seven days personal challenge.

Portrait - Day 5 or 7

2011-06-23T08:28:00.000-04:00

"A Portrait of Amy" is my day 5 portrait. I thought I would go with bold colors for this one.

Portrait - Day 4 of 7

2011-06-22T10:39:00.000-04:00

"Looking Back" is my next portrait in my series of 7 portraits in 7 days. I just finished this one this morning. when I gave myself this challenge I didn't realize how time consuming it would be. But it has been good for me, I needed a challenge.

Portrait, Day 3 of 7

2011-06-21T06:44:00.000-04:00

This is day 3 of my 7 portraits in 7 days challenge. Painting in black and white is quite different than color, but I like it. It looks more like a drawing I suppose, but will try this again.

Portrait, Day 2 of 7

2011-06-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

Portrait #2 is of Mimi. She has a rounded face and Asian. This was be best I could do to capture the shape of her face. I really like this one, I like the colors I chose, makes it look very unique.

I am looking forward to the different styles to experiment with.

7 portraits in 7 days

2011-06-19T00:02:00.000-04:00

I have decided to give myself a challenge. Since portraits is one of my favorite things to do, I decided to paint one portrait a day for seven days. This first one I actually been working on for some time and just finished. So I will start this series with this one called "Portrait of Gina"

I will be experimenting with different styles, both black and white and color. All of these were done through digital means using Art Weaver and Photo Shop. I am excited about this series and would very much like feedback on these portraits.

She Prays

2011-06-16T11:18:00.000-04:00

Quite often while down at the lake front, I will run into a meditation group that come down to pray. Since this is a quite place, it is the perfect place to pray or meditate, or commune with God. I have done it myself down here. But since the flooding, the beaches are still covered with water so no one down here to pray so far this year. I miss seeing them, it is a peaceful sight.

So here is my newest painting, "She Prays", inspired by the peaceful folks who come down here to quiet themselves before God for direction or their own inner peace.

Winter's Night

2011-06-13T12:19:00.000-04:00

This painting I completed a couple of months ago. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. I kept coming back to it, and it kind of grown on me. So I guess I am putting it out there to see what others think. I will appreciate any comment.

Grave Stone

2011-06-10T10:29:00.000-04:00

I love old graveyards. I don't know why, I am just drawn to them. The older the better. I guess just the sense of history there. They are beautiful places, quiet, and for me quite inspiring.

This is from an old graveyard in Brandon, I thought it would make a great painting.

New Abstract

2011-06-06T11:03:00.000-04:00

I need a title for this. For now, I will call it "Expression#2. My original idea was levels, or stepping stones. I was thinking about all of those stepping stones in life that got us where we are today. Stepping stones to different levels in our life.

I struggle with finding good titles for my art, especially abstracts. Sometimes I don't want a descriptive title because people see different things in abstracts and I want to encourage that in my work..

The Gathering

2011-06-02T10:19:00.000-04:00

Of all of the abstracts I have done, this is the one I am the most proud of. I call it "The Gathering". Our nation and our world as well is so divided. Divisions because of race, political, religious, and cultural. So many things to pull us apart and demonize the other.

The other night, I watched the movie "Pleasantville". It was about this town that lived in a black and white world of the 1950's where everything was the same, everything was "pleasant" but no one was happy. Self expression was not tolerated and because of that people were repressed. Once a few of the town folk, mostly youth discovered the freedom of expression, the powers that be tried to squash it, passed laws against using color and expression to get back to the plain and simple where everyone knew their place and back to sameness.

But the revolution of freedom of self expression was to powerful, and it eventually won, and the people discovered themselves as much as they did other ideas and ways to express their creativity.

I dedicate this piece to all those who have been repressed by religion, culture, ideology, and as the 1960's anthem say's, Come on people now. Smile on your brother, let us love one another right now!

"The difference between art and propaganda is often blurred. "Propaganda tells us what to think. Art allows us to come to truth on our own. Propaganda keeps everything easy. Art forces us to confront issues that we perhaps would rather not think about". - Tom Green

Portrait of Gina

2011-05-30T08:19:00.000-04:00

I only had a chance to work with Gina once. I took a series of photographs and we did not shoot for very long, the weather was bad and we called it a day.

Several weeks ago I was looking over the photos, and picked out a few and using them for a reference point, I painted this interpretation of her.

Fauvist Portrait

2011-05-26T20:06:00.000-04:00

I have been researching the Fauvist Movement and as I looked at the paintings of Henri Matisse, Andre' Derain and Raoul Dufy and others, the more I enjoy this style.

Here is my humble attempt at a Fauvist style portrait once again. I will continue my journey into this style for a bit and see where it takes me. That is the great thing about art. it is all about creative discovery.

A flirt with Fauvism

2011-05-23T10:41:00.000-04:00

Fauvism, French for "wild beast', was a short lived art movement from about 1904 - 1908. Fauvism emphasized garish colors and painterly qualities over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism. One of the most famous of the Fauves was Henri Matisse.

The subject of this painting is a man I have come to know on Church Street over the years. Everyone knows him as "Highway", and he is one of these kind of colorful characters that everyone just loves and respects.

I have been wanting to do a portrait of Highway for some time. Experimenting with Fauvism, he just seemed to be the perfect subject.

Another Portrait

2011-05-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

I just finished this portrait of Sally, digitally painted in black and white. I have said this quite a lot here, but I just love portraits and figurative work. As much as I love abstracts, I am drawn to portraits.

I have been experimenting with painting in black and white more. I do like the effect, of course I shoot a lot of black and white photographs. It just seems so nice to have options and to be able to experiment.

Portrait of Natasha

2011-05-15T16:17:00.000-04:00

Trying a new technique. Using Art weaver to draw, then using a "felt pen" brush to draw. I just love digital to draw and paint, so much to discover and experiment with.

The model is Natasha, I worked with her for a bit a few years back. To draw this, I used several of her photos for a reference then decided to draw a closeup of her face. I was very happy the way it came out.

Distant - A portrait

2011-05-11T10:55:00.000-04:00

A new painting, a portrait I have been working on for quite a long time. It took on many adjustments, changes, even a complete start over but I liked the way it came out. I originally was going for an abstract portrait, but didn't quite make it, but I am happy at how it did eventually turned out. I will call this "distant".

Bursting Forth

2011-05-07T14:59:00.000-04:00

I have noticed that the leaves on the trees seemed to just burst forth this past week. I suppose with all the rain, and the temperatures getting warmer has helped. This new abstract I am calling "Bursting Forth". I actually completed this a month or so ago but needed a title. With all the green starting to emerge as well as flowers, this was a good title for this piece.

Alternate Reality

2011-05-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

Just finished working on this abstract which I will call "Alternate Reality". It is hard to explain my abstracts, I am inspired by movement and imagination. Sometimes I start by not having anything in mind and let me imagination take over, and the painting seems to have a life of it's own. Sometimes the hardest part is finding a title.

I really love that people see different things in my abstracts, even things I have not or don't see at all. I think this is the power of abstracts, one has to really look and be involved to see and appreciate beyond the nice colors and/or shapes.

Playful Spirits

2011-04-29T14:02:00.000-04:00

Another in my paranormal series, "Playful Spirits". It was quite a challenge to create 25 works for a paranormal themed show for October 16th. I only have a few more to do and I will meet my goal. I have enjoyed creating this series

Shaky foundation

2011-04-25T15:59:00.000-04:00

My newest painting "Shaky Foundation", inspired by what is going on in our country and the world. It seems all of our foundations are shaking, and I am not sure if anyone knows how to fix it.

I escape into my art. Art helps me to keep positive, to seek out beauty everywhere. I am so thankful that there is so much beauty in this world, and you don't have to look too hard, just open your eyes and there it is!

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web. - Pablo Picasso"

The Faded Cross - Good Friday Reflection

2011-04-22T09:49:00.001-04:00

I painted this piece in 2009, called "The Faded Cross". I was reflecting about how Christianity has lost influence over the years. There are many reasons for this, one of the reasons is the way so called followers of Jesus profane His message when they live contrary to how He did. But the results of the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ has left a mark on our world for good that will never fade away. Consider the words to this poem who I do not know the author, but speaks powerfully to the life of Christ and what He means to true believers around the world.

"Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself…

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life."

16X20 digital painting on Kodak Endura silk Paper - $150.00

Scrambled Emotions

2011-04-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

I just finished this digital oil abstract. I put a lot of emotion and movement into this work. Thinking about a title, emotions is what kept coming up. I had my wife look at it and she said it seemed like a very emotional piece. So I will call it "Scrambled Emotions". We have all experienced times in our lives when our emotions were all over the place, "scrambled" if you will.

I love the colors here, and had a lot of fun doing this abstract.

Supernatural Fire

2011-04-13T10:50:00.000-04:00

Hebrews 12:29 states that "Our God is a consuming fire". The bible has several depictions of God manifesting as fire. Moses and the burning bush. The pillar of Fire in Exodus, Elijah calling down fire from heaven, etc.

Fire is a natural element in human society caused by so many things. Fire is also a spiritual theme. Continuing my paranormal project, my newest work, "Supernatural Fire".

I really enjoyed working on this piece, it allowed me to be expressive, to use movement and work with my two favorite colors to paint, red and yellow!

Golden Light

2011-04-10T12:34:00.000-04:00

I love that golden light when just after a day of storms and rain, the clouds break just enough for the sun to poke through one small area. Then this golden glow beautifully lights a scene. Many times I have seen this when I did not have a camera with me. Now I carry a camera with me at all times. But this scene was one of those times I had no camera and it was absolutely beautiful.

I tried to capture that scene with this new digital painting.

The Encounter

2011-04-06T09:54:00.000-04:00

"The Encounter" is my newest work in my paranormal abstract series. I have been working on this series for a year, and will have a solo show, "Paranormal Dreams" on Sunday, October 16th at the Northgate Community Hall, in Burlington, Vermont, reception 3-5 pm.

I have enjoyed working on this series, allowing my imagination to take over and discovering what emerges. I am looking forward to sharing this body of work.

Street Scene

2011-04-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

I decided to experiment a bit with this image. I wanted to exaggerate the color. This time of the year, not much for color, still snow on the ground, the trees are bare, days are mostly cloudy, so pretty drab. So here is my contribution to add some color until spring comes forth and the flowers and the birds are back to color our landscape.

The Haunted Woods

2011-03-27T14:52:00.000-04:00

Don't go into the woods we were warned. As a kid, we had several small patches of forested areas around us, and we enjoyed playing and exploring in these woods. But there was one area, where everyone said was haunted, and stories told of people who either disappeared or went mad for going into the woods. No one dared to go, it was a scary place, dark woods, lots of shadows, so it really let your imagination run wild.

One day, when I was about 15, I decided to venture into these woods. So on a cold February day, I took a .22 rifle and entered the woods. It was sunny and bright outside, but the woods were an eerie darkness, strange shadows all around, no birds, no signs of life, just darkness and spooky shadows. I ventured on frozen swamp quite a way in, every once in awhile would hear a twig break, or something moving. I felt like someone or something was following me. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Something was following me. I turned around fast enough to see a movement of something dart behind a tree. I felt It was time to leave, so as I started out, I heard a growl, very faint, but when I turned to see, the movement of a shadow darted around the tree. I dropped to my knees, grabbed my rifle, and scanned the woods. Then all of a sudden, I haeard a loud scream like a woman in distress, and it scared me so much I dropped my rifle, my heart racing, and I spotted it, in a branch in a tree just a few feet from me, a big bobcat, who seemed to smile at scaring me half to death. It looked at me with an amused look, then just slowly went down the tree and into the woods.

This was my adventure into the "haunted woods"!

Inspired by Graffiti

2011-03-22T10:28:00.000-04:00

I have always liked graffiti. Maybe because I have always lived in an urban setting. I grew up with graffiti, I find it appealing. Some are real works of art that take talent. Others are nothing more than just a tag. I do understand that graffiti is vandalism. Graffiti can mean signs of gang activity and I understand the need to remove it. But I can still appreciate the artistic merit of some of it.

My new abstract was inspired by graffiti.

Restless

2011-03-15T12:01:00.001-04:00

Restless is the title of my new abstract. This describes this time of the year for me. The winter was long and hard. March is here. Signs of spring, however small are all around. But snow, still lots of it is still here. It is hard to find the beauty. I want so much to get out with my camera and do some shooting. I am getting restless for spring, the real spring when the birds are out, the trees budding, the wildflowers poking through. And no snow! But for now, I can still be creative, I have my abstracts, something I enjoy as much as photography.

New Abstract - Conflict

2011-03-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

Conflict, uproar, messed up, turmoil. These seem to be the words that describe our world in these times. It is hard not to think of how much conflict is in the world these days so this theme even influences art. So here is my attempt to capture this thought.

Frozen Wilderness

2011-03-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

Another snow scene just begging to be painted. I was down by the Waterfront the other day and the starkness of the lake and the dark skies were interesting. I snapped a few pictures and tried to recreate the scene as I saw it.

The journey continues

2011-02-27T15:02:00.000-05:00

My newest painting is called "The Journey Continues". I can relate so much to this. My journey into art is continuing. Just when I think I have my style, or genre, I am drawn to do stuff I have not done before. Maybe I am still finding my way in this wilderness called art.

Daniel Boone once said "I have never been lost in the woods in my life, but I was mighty confused once for three days". Sometimes you are not lost, just exploring new lands and new paths to take you where you never been before.

Male Portrait

2011-02-23T13:59:00.001-05:00

Most of my portraits are female. I have photographed a few male models, but this is my first attempt at painting a male. The subject in this painting is Steven, he is a High School Senior and he has never modeled before. We took a series of photos and I just asked him to be himself. I liked his expressions, and here is my interpretation of Steven and his personality.

I know I have stated this so many times, but I just love portraits!

Fashion Portrait

2011-02-19T16:48:00.000-05:00

I love experimenting with fashion. I am not a fashion photographer, my experience lie in portrait and street photography. But I love to experiment with fashion. Over the last decade, I have shot a lot of "fashion" using local models so I can hone my own skills and give these models some images they can use. It is what is called "time for prints".

This shot is from one of those shoots. The model, Becca was brand new, never modeled before. I do like the way this came out.

Ode to Spring

2011-02-16T14:33:00.001-05:00

It is hard not to think about and long for spring's arrival. It has been a cold, snowy winter, and I say, enough already! I want spring. There are some signs of an early spring. I saw a flock of robins the other day, my dog Mindy is shedding earlier than normal, I even saw a few geese flying around the lake. And of course the groundhog did not see his shadow!

Spring will come in it's own good time, and I will be one of the first to welcome it's arrival. But for now, I can only dream, and paint, so here is my tribute to spring.

Milk Weeds

2011-02-13T12:56:00.000-05:00

I am running a sale on some of my older works, pricing to sell. This is a 11X14 print for $50. One week only.

Shades of Blue

2011-02-10T13:13:00.000-05:00

I am running a sale on some of my older works, pricing to sell. This is a 11X14 print for $50. One week only.

Stonehenge

2011-02-07T14:00:00.001-05:00

I just finished another in my paranormal series. This one is of Stonehenge. I have never been there, though I would love to see it. I sketched this out from viewing photographs of Stonehenge and gave it my own interpretation.

black and white

2011-02-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

I once said "I like colors for painting, but for photography, I love black and white." This image was from a "black hoodie shoot I did with a few local models. I like how a hoodie photographs especially in black and white, and putting it in an urban setting has a special appeal to me.

Girl with the hat

2011-01-30T15:12:00.000-05:00

Just finished this portrait I have been working on for a few months now. It is from a photo reference of a model I had worked with for a few years. Lindsay, the model was one of my best, and hopefully this portrait does her justice.

A cold winter afternoon

2011-01-27T12:53:00.000-05:00

Just off the digital easel, my newest digital painting, "A cold winter afternoon". I have only done a few snow scenes. Winter is not my favorite time of year, but since I live in Vermont I need to take advantage of this season. Perhaps the best way to beat it is to paint it!

Kids just having fun

2011-01-23T23:34:00.000-05:00

My latest digital painting, "Kids just having fun". This painting from a photo reference of a scene in Atlanta Georgia I took in 2001. I took several shots, liked the scene so painted this.

Next to portraits, urban street scenes are a favorite subject. I was a street photographer for over 40 years. I like the streets, I feel very much at home there, and always find inspiration by watching people doing ordinary things, living out there life on the street.

Woman in Black

2011-01-19T00:40:00.000-05:00

I have been working on this portrait for quite some time. This is probably my best so far, as least I think it is. I had to rework it several times. It just never looked just right, always found something wrong.

I know I have said this several times here, but I absolutely love portraits. I have been spending a lot of time looking at great portraits by other artists and photographers, hoping to hone my own skills.

This portrait started with this simple sketch which at the time didn't intend it to be anything more than just that. But the more I looked at it the more I wanted to work it further to see what it could evolve into.

I worked it some more refining it into this sketch which became the basis for the "Woman in Black digital painting.

Electromagnetic Field

2011-01-16T15:54:00.000-05:00

Another in my series on the paranormal. A paranormal researcher will often use an EMF meter to measure the electromagnetic field. If it is high, it can mean that there is paranormal activity or high readings can also cause someone to have hallucinations and also feel sick, which could also explain possible "paranormal" activity.

Of course all of this is just theory, there is no real scientific evidence.

The paranormal has always interest me, and makes for a good inspiration for my art. "Electromagnetic Field" is #13 in my paranormal series.

Spirit Dancers

2011-01-11T23:37:00.000-05:00

Another in my paranormal series, "Spirit Dancers" a new digital painting drawn from my imagination. This is an 12X18 Kodak Endura paper mounted on mat board. - $150.00. This is number 12 in my series, hoping to do a show in October. I have about 12 more to create.

Always have a camera

2011-01-09T13:04:00.000-05:00

"The street has a thousand voices, a thousand moods, a thousand rhythms. The full range of human emotion is on display on the streets of our cities, from joy to anguish to diffidence to despair, if we only slow down long enough to look for them."

How many times have you come across something interesting and you wish you had camera? I always carry a camera with me no matter where I go. I have my normal Nikon DSLR kit and bag quite a bit, but there are times when I am not out to shoot, perhaps running errands and I don't have my bag with me. This shot of an impromptu pillow fight on the street was just one of those times. I was running some errands but I happened to have my Canon G9 in my pocket and snapped this shot.

I carry a Canon sd4000is in a small pouch on my belt all the time. The camera is not much bigger than my cell phone so I can have it with me at all times. I never have to miss a shot. The sd4000 has good image quality, enough manual control to satisfy my photography needs. But more importantly, it is with me all the time. I won't miss shooting something of interest. It has been said that the best camera in the world is the one you have with you.

How about you? Remember seeing something interesting and wished you had a camera? Elvis at a gas station, UFO, a bear walking down Main Street, etc?

Portrait - Drawing to a painting.

2011-01-05T01:02:00.002-05:00

My portraits start out in Art Weaver where I sketch them out. They take shape there, then into photo shop for adjustments, fine tuning and darkening or lightening. Then they are ready to paint.

But I have to decide do I want to put an outfit on the figure? I am a fan of beauty images with no fabric for portraits so I will leave off the outfit.

I also need to determine if the face will face me or turned away, long hair or short, wavy or straight.

Once I figure all of this out, then I go into painter, and choose my colors to paint the drawing so it will be a final digital painting. A portrait of a young beauty. All final adjustments are then done in photo shop.

11X14 digital print - $100.

The purple dress

2011-01-02T14:40:00.000-05:00

My first digital painting for 2011! Continuing my theme, Fashion as art. Trying out some new techniques in photo shop and some new digital brushes. I am looking forward to some new styles and experiments this year.

Fashion as art part 2

2010-12-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

Many see fashion as nothing more than frivolity and excess. But fashion is also seen as an art form. Fashion trends are moving in the direction of merging fashion and the arts.

Fashion is so much apart of our lives. Every piece of clothing we have is fashion. We are part of the fashion industry like it or not. I love this dialog from The devil wears prada; "

"This... 'stuff'? Oh... ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean. You're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar De La Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of 8 different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff."

Fashion as art

2010-12-20T14:28:00.001-05:00

It was fashion that got me into art. For the past twelve years, I have been doing a lot of fashion photography. I would work with local girls interested in modeling and shoot some fashion concepts and have enjoyed this kind of experimentation. Fashion taught me a lot about art. As I read fashion magazines, watched fashion shows, and studied other fashion photographers, I got a better appreciation for fashion and the whole industry.

Shooting fashion has forced me to discover my creative side. I had to pay more attention to colors, shapes and form. Shadow and light plays a big part of the overall image.

blue Ice

2010-12-12T15:47:00.000-05:00

I use blue a lot in my art work so I created this new digital art using shades of blue. As the weather gets colder, the lake and ponds freeze over. To me, blue represents cold, so I titled this piece, "blue ice".

City Streets

2010-12-09T14:10:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the year, I gave myself a personal challenge to photograph with one prime lens, either a 35mm or 50mm. In the earlier days of my photography I always used a 35mm lens. Never felt the need for big zooms, but of course once I tried them I loved them. For many years my work horse lens was the 70-210 Nikon.

But for street shots, you just can't beat the 35 or 50. This shot was taken with a 50mm. It slows you down and makes you think about the shot, and sometimes just using your feet to get closer.

Street shooting in winter is hard for me as I don't like the cold and have a hard time dealing with it anymore, but I carry a camera with me all the time so sometimes I see a shot I like and take it.

More experimental

2010-12-06T16:04:00.000-05:00

Tis the season for me to experiment. It is too cold for me to comfortably take my cameras out on the street, and no fashion/portraits shoots scheduled until January so will just have some fun with digital art. This piece looks more folk art, with a tribal design but I like the way it came out. I would like to see this on fabric, perhaps on a tapestry.