January
9, 2012
Well
Happy New Year to You! I hope you & yours had a wonderful
Holiday, and here's wishing us all a Healthy and Prosperous 2012!
...Cheers!
It's
been a bit crazy around here as usual. Since my last post (and
just recently) I've begun a new Park Service project for another
visitor center out West. I'll post some images and info as they
become available, but for right now I'm just hoping to get it
all completed in the short time that has been allotted. It's going
to be lotsa fun creating the "critters" to be incorporated
into the rocky environment of the exhibit. More to come...
Before
Christmas I was commissioned to produce a small triptych of pet
portraits for some friends as presents. The paintings are in oil
on canvas stretched over panels and measure 8" x 8"
each. Although you really can't tell from the pics, they're framed
in gold .
Here
they are:
"Molly,"
"Butterdrop," and "Watson"
Another
bit of news is that the cooperative gallery to which I belong,
Artworks
at 7th, was awarded "Best Gallery on the Bay" in
Bay Weekly's 2011 Best of the Bay reader survey! Actually,
we tied for first place with McBride
Gallery in Old Town Annapolis. Considering that McBride has
been around since 1980 and Artworks was founded in 2003, I think
that's pretty cool! So that's twice now that we've tied for first
place as Best Art Gallery on the Bay (we tied with Carmen
for first place in 2009)!
Thanks
to everyone who voted us in, it's quite an honor!
Coincidentally,
Artworks at 7th will soon be moving to a new location a few doors
down along the Avenue there in North Beach. As of this writing
we are still working out the details but the new space promises
to be a vast improvement over our existing digs. There is a bit
of work to be done with the required renovation and the move itself,
but it will all be well worth it. I'll keep you posted on that
as well!
I
mean no disrespect when I say "good riddance" to the
year 2011. It's been a whirl wind rollercoaster and we lost ALOT
of good people last year. I know the older I get the more funerals
I attend, but it's always sad and it's never easy. I just wish
all the loved ones that passed: A Peaceful Rest, and to all the
loved ones that are survived:
Strength
to Carry On...
November
1, 2011
OK.
Obviously I'm not good at all with keeping up this page of news
so I apologize to anyone who's been checking in only to find that
there's nothing new to check in on.
Thank You So Very Much for taking the time to look in on my humble
little website.
It's
been a weird year for me, this 2011. Not just the strange weather
(all the rain, a couple of hurricanes with an EARTHQUAKE squeezed
in between, and just recently: SNOW in October!), but the slow
economy and my unsteady health seem to have all contributed to
my feelings of unease lately. (Gettin' old ain't for wimps!)
Alas,
also
last month, we lost our "Best Girl" little "Sally"
aka SR Solar Sailin' Shoes UD RAE JH WC CCA VC,
a Golden Retreiver Extraordinaire! She was a good girl all the
way to the end (all those letters after her name attest to her
achievements) and she will be sorely missed.
Little
Sally in action:
In
May, however, I participated in my third Solomons Plein Air Festival
and it was a lot of fun as usual. I've included a few of my paintings
in the plein air
section and I will try to keep it current.
Here
are the thumbs:
I
also produced a couple of commissions earlier this year. One was
a portrait of Tom's family's beloved cat "Shadow" which
I created as a charcoal & pastel drawing to be given as a
gift to his lovely wife on her birthday. I hope it was well received!
I
was also commissioned to paint a portrait of Christin's boyfriend's
custom Street Glide as a centerpiece to their newly decorated
living space. The piece was created as a black & white acrylic
painting on canvas stretched over a panel. It was my first Harley
portrait and it sure was fun to paint! I understand the owner
was pleased with the results.
Here
are those thumbs:
I've
reworked the site a little bit, added some images and a whole
new page in the graphic section called "Miscellaneous
Pen & Ink Illustration." In this section you'll find
some pen & ink drawings that I've produced over the years,
and I hope to add some fresh meat as I grind it. Some of the images
are political, some are commemorative, and some are just ideas
I had to get on the page in ink.
I
also found some artwork from the D.O.G. Fest days and a few of
those images are included here as well. They really brought back
some memories for me. If any D.O.G.s are reading this, you know
those were THE BEST parties, and I feel fortunate to have attended
a few! Those days are long gone, but they sure were fun and I
hope I never forget 'em.
Well,
I think that's about all that is worth sharing at the moment.
I'll REALLY try to keep up this page a bit more often, and again,
Thanks to ALL of you ( you know who you are!) who check in on
me. I really appreciate your interest!
Until
next time:
Don't
forget to tell those loved ones that you love 'em while you still
can!
April
5, 2011
Another
month has come and gone and here in Chesapeake Country it's finally
looking like Spring! The Osprey are back, the trees are in full
bloom and the tulips and iris are poking up their buds to join
the daffodils and forsythia. Despite the rain and quirky temperatures,
it's truly a beautiful time of year!
First and foremost I need to thank my good friend
Sean McDaniel for generously putting his valuable time and
effort into providing for a solo exhibition of my paintings at
Gallery
208 in Fayetteville, North Carolina for the last two months.
Thank You for all your care and consideration and for putting
up with me and all my twisted faults and neuroses!
To
all the good folks down there, please accept my sincere apologies
for not being able to attend the opening reception. I was really
looking forward to it, but my health decided otherwise. I understand
the show was well received and the food was a hit as usual!
Thanks
again for all your kindness and hospitality!
Well
now, here's some good news: Once again I have been fortunate to
have been juried into another group show at
Annmarie Garden in Solomons Island! This space is THE PLACE
to show in Southern Maryland. There is no equal and I am honored
and proud to show there once again and to be in the company of
so many talented folks!
The
show is titled "About
Face: Stories in Portraits." It will host a collection
of portraits in a wide variety of media, each accompanied by a
narrative provided by the artists describing the story behind
the portrait. I entered a couple of my "Oldies" paintings
that seemed to fit the bill. The jury accepted TWO of my pieces:
coincidentally a portrait of Sean
from 1993 and a self-portrait of sorts called
"The Fly" from the same year. I usually don't enter
older work into shows and was feeling a little bit trepidatious,
but these two have never been seen in this space and the jury
seemed to agree that the pieces really fit the bill. The portrait
of Sean even made the front of the postcard!
Thank you jurors!
The
opening reception will be an "After
Hours" event to be held on Friday, April 15, 2011 from
6-9pm. There will be a $5.00 cover ($4.00 for members) and will
feature wine, light hors d'oeuvres and live music. You must be
21 or older to attend and the entire gallery (including the giftshop)
will be open for browsing. It promises to be a good time (as always)
and I hope to see you there!
Other
news is that I've decided to accept portrait
commissions again. For a while, not too long ago, I was producing
portraits in a variety of media: graphite, charcoal, pastels,
watercolor and oils. I soon became busy with other projects and
stopped taking requests. Times have changed (and so have I) and
I now welcome commissions. If you would like to get an original
portrait created especially for you, of you or your loved ones,
please contact me
to get a price quote. I am still working out the numbers and will
post them as soon as possible. I can work from your photographs
or we can set up a time for me to come to you for a photoshoot
and sitting.
Lastly,
I am adding to the graphics
section with some older drawings I found in the back bin that
still seem to hold some relevance. Some are commercial, some are
political, and some are just pure nonsense I found to be personally
entertaining. (That's not saying much as anyone who knows me knows
I am easily amused.) In all cases they are part of my repertoire
and have never been shown (here) before . I hope you enjoy them!
And,
of course, I am working on some new ideas for images and as soon
as they are completed I will post them here and you all will be
the first to know! Thanks once again for dropping by and for goodness
sake, turn off that computer and take a walk outside...
It's
Springtime! Find your Peace!
February
16, 2011
I
just found this nice feature about the show in Fayetteville:
http://www.upandcomingweekly.com/content/view/1254/28/
Thank
you Stephanie Crider for the kind words!
February
11, 2011
Well...
It's a new year and once again I'm here with an update on this
website.
The
big news is I've finally opened a Paypal account and now you folks
out there can purchase some of my prints
through this website. Actually when you click on the shopping
cart buttons you are taken to Paypal's secure website for your
transaction. Paypal is a globally trusted name in e-commerce.
You do not have to have a Paypal account. You may simply checkout
as a guest using an accepted major credit card.
You
can rest assured that all your information will be held in the
strictest confidence and not shared with any third parties. In
fact, the only information I will have access to would be your
email and shipping addresses so that I can send you tracking information
and your purchases, and I will not share that information with
anyone. I promise!
The
other news is: Thanks to my long-time friend and colleague, Sean
McDaniel, I currently have a solo exhibition called "Bayscapes
and Other Reflections" at Gallery
208 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It will be on display
until March 25th, and if you happen to be in Fayetteville anytime
from now until then stop on by and check it out. Hopefully I will
be there for the public opening reception that is scheduled for
Thursday evening, February 24. If we can both be there then, I
hope to see you!
That's
about all I got for now; it's still tough times out here. I'll
keep you posted with anything that I think is news worthy, and
in the mean time: Stay warm and Keep the Faith! The one thing
you can count on is that nothing lasts forever... so let's get
busy!
Thanks
again for stopping by and until next time: May the Peace be with
You!
September
13, 2010
Well...
Here we are working on the third quarter of 2010 and I am just
now getting around to writing this "News"... Better
late than never?
Here's
some of what's been going on around here since my last update:
There
are a couple of new paintings in the
paintings gallery and a couple new projects I completed earlier
this year documented in the
murals section. One was a private commission for a local residence
and the other was a small part in the production of the visitor
center at Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Once again, many thanks to the good folks at
Color-Ad, Inc. for giving me the opportunity to bid my services
on another fun and informative project!
In
June I participated in a show with fellow Artworks@7th
member Selena Daughtrey-Andersen. It was called "Ebb and
Flow" and featured some of our recent paintings and other
objects. Thanks to all who came out to see it and thanks to Selena
for sticking with me! I know... I failed to mention it here and
probably shouldn't mention my oversite compounding the evidence
of my social networking ineptitude. Welcome to my world!
The
hardest part of this whole website / pseudo-blog thing is assuming
that someone is reading any of this and that anyone is even the
slightest bit interested in what I do. I keep this space as a
portfolio not just to showcase some of the projects I have been
involved with, but also to demonstrate some of my skills in hopes
of garnering future affiliations.
And
so, I'll leave you with some abridged prose ala Alexander Pope's
"An Essay on Man:"
"...Hope
spings eternal in the human breast:
Man
never is, but always to be blest:
The
soul, uneasy and confined from home,
Rests
and expatiates in a life to come.."
Thanks
for checking out my site and until next time: Peace on you!
December
8, 2009
Apparently
I'm not so good at updating the news around here, as it's been
about SIX MONTHS since I last posted. Well then, let's just try
to catch up and wrap up 2009.
The
Proximity Show at Annmarie Garden was a great fun. The show
included lots of incredible work from 30 local artists. Four of
them are members of
Artworks@7th, my local gallery affiliation! It was an honor
to share such a beautiful space with all those talented folks.
I hope you had a chance to see it. If not, try and get down to
Annmarie Garden this
month. The show has changed but they've got the place all
lit up and I've got a piece hanging in the Cafe Show which features
works from local cooperative galleries and once again Artworks
@7th is representing!
I
joined another gallery in September. The
Maryland Federation of Art's Circle Gallery in Annapolis.
I have five pieces currently on display there as part of the Holiday
Members Show which hangs until January. If you get by State Circle,
check it out!
Also,
I've just released two new images as limited edition giclees.
"Gray Day"
and "Low Tide"
were painted earlier this year and both were part of the Proximity
Show described earlier. "Gray Day" is the largest print
I've offered to date at 20" x 30" and both are available
for purchase!
I've
also got a few new pieces in the painting section,
click here to see them. I'm thinking about some new directions
to explore, and I hope to share them with you. Due to an elbow
injury in November it's been kind of slow going and a bit of a
struggle lately, but I feel I'm on the mend and am looking forward
to a much more productive 2010.
I
participated in The W.A.R.M.T.H. Auction again this year, which
happens on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. W.A.R.M.T.H. (Working
Artists Raising Money For The Homeless) is the brainchild of Mary
R. Owens and her sister Jackie Owens-Lancaster. Along with Jackie's
husband Lanny, these folks turn their beautiful historic home,
The Camalier House, into a Gallery and Auction House to raise
money for The
Three Oaks Center, a homeless shelter and outreach center
located in St. Mary's County. This year (for the first time) they
produced and sold a calendar featuring the work of twelve participating
artists. It just so happened that the piece I submitted (Gray
Day, it's really getting around) made it inside and on the cover,
which won me the first annual Brian
Gallagher award. Thanks guys!
I'm
sure I've left some things out as 2009 has been quite a challenge.
I'll try and be more diligent in my updates in the coming year.
Thanks for checking in! And so:
I
wish everyone a very Happy Holiday and a Peaceful and Prosperous
2010!
July
5, 2009
Ok.
Another couple of months since my last post. The gallery I joined
back in April seems to be picking up a little and I've already
sold a few prints. The show for July is called Route
4 and features acrylic paintings by Suzanne Shelden (www.sheldenstudios.com)
and watercolor paintings by Deborah McClure that feature scenes
from Route 4, the main artery in and out of this peninsula we
call Calvert County. It's a great show with lots of beautiful
images and a percentage of the proceeds will go towards land preservation
efforts here in the county.
Also
this month, the two paintings I finished in April (scroll down
to see) will be in a group show at Annmarie Garden July 25 through
October 4 called "Proximity: Regional Discoveries" which
features work from Southern Maryland artists playing with the
idea of proximity. Annmarie Garden is an outdoor sculpture park
affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute and features sculptures
on loan from the Hirshhorn museum in DC and sports a beautiful
new art center and gallery where the show will be held. I am honored
to show there .
For
more info go to:
http://www.annmariegarden.org/annmarie2/content/proximity-regional-discoveries
Also,
last month I participated in Paint Out Solomons which was also
held at Annmarie Garden and was a whole lotta fun. It was a plein
air event in which artists came from near and far and had from
Thursday to Saturday to paint "en plein air" scenes
from the town of Solomons Island and the surrounding areas. Saturday
night you had to drop off two of your best pieces to be hung and
shown at the Arts Building on Sunday only. Prizes were given for
various "Best ofs...." and all the work was for sale.
I didn't win any prizes but I sold one of my pieces and met a
bunch of really great folks. This was the first time I participated
in such an event and even though it was a lot of work to get it
all together it was a lot of fun, too.
I
think I'll be back next year.
Anyway,
I'll try to do a better job of keeping a timely blog here in future.
I hope everyone is keeping well and hanging on 'cause this recession
can't last forever...Can it?
PEACE
April
20, 2009-
Well,
now almost a couple of months have passed since my last post.
I've since joined a gallery in North Beach called Artworks@7th.
It's a cooperative gallery meaning it is made up of dues paying
members. I've only been to one meeting and had to hold down the
fort only once so far, but from what I can tell it's in a nice
spot that gets a bit of foot traffic and it is full of fine work
from a variety of local artists. Here's the link for directions,
etc.:
http://www.artworksat7th.com/index.html
Stop
on by sometime.
Between
the holidays and getting the taxes in order I haven't gotten much
painting done, but I finally finished a piece I've been working
on / staring at for years. It had gotten damaged and I successfuly
repaired it after much trouble. I'm calling it "Gray Day."
It is yet another image of the beach right near my home here in
Chesapeake Beach. One day I'm sure I'll tire of this subject but
it hasn't happened yet.I hope to make a print of it as soon as
I can.
The
other piece is one I started and finished last week that I'm calling
"Low Tide."
Click
on the thumbnail to see a larger image.
I
hope all is well with you and yours and that you have found something
of interest to you here.
Keep
up the good work and remember those famous words of Benjamin Franklin
spoken at the signing of our Declaration of Independence:
"We
must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang
separately."
Or
something like that... For what it's worth...
Peace.
February
28, 2009-
It's
been about a month and a half since my last post here. A lot has
happened in the world since then. We officially have a new president
and almost a cabinet and the world economy is crashing and burning.
Irrational exuberance seems to be the cause (again).
Not
much for me to do about that except keep myself in check and keep
busy working. Karen and I consider ourselves fortunate in that
we have always lived fairly frugally and are not really affected
too badly by the current situation. Kinda just keepin' on keepin'
on.
However,
I currently have no gigs on the books so I have been trying to
get back to painting. It's been about two years since I put the
brush to the panel. I've produced about six small images so far
and have been working on an image that has been "in progress"
for about 3 years that I hope to finish this year. When I do I'll
post it.
Meanwhile
here are a few images from the last months' work.
Click
on the thumbnail to see a larger image.
Well,
try to stay afloat and keep it all in perspective however you
can. Peace.
January
10, 2009-
Well
it's no news that times are tough for most folks right now. A
friend of mine recalled recently that in times like these it is
essential to reinvent yourself again and again just to keep your
head above water. I tend to agree and after a couple of tough
years I am trying to regroup.
I
will soon be lowering my print prices just a bit in hopes of encouraging
sales. When I had the pieces in the galleries I didn't want to
undercut them, so I kept my posted prices comparable. Also out
of respect for those of you who have bought some of my work in
the past, I didn't want you to feel that you got ripped off.
Well
I still don't want you to feel ripped off and I hope you'll understand
it's just a reflection of the current economic climate. I hope
this year and the new Administrator prove to be a better deal
for everyone. In the meantime, let's just roll up our sleeves
and get busy with what we can to help dig ourselves out of the
real mess we are in as a country (and a world).
As
I produce more stuff I hope to keep you posted in this space throughout
the coming year(s). Here's wishing all a Happy and Prosperous
New Year!
I
finally updated this website (again). I basically started from
scratch with a new logo and layout. I've eliminated all the flash
(except for the tiny little pen & ink portraits). The entire
site is pretty much all HTML and hopefully it doesn't take too
long to load.
There
is also a section of Prints which are printed by Staples
Fine Art in Richmond, Virginia in limited editions printed
on paper and canvas. They are all produced and mounted to archival
standards. These are for sale and prices are posted. There are
no shopping carts so if you are interested in purchasing anythng
you will have to contact me.
I
hope I found all the bugs and you enjoy your visit. As always,
thanks for taking the time...
