The Realm 1987

This large work, (60" x 72"), from February of 1987 was the high water mark from my early years striving to find my path as an artist and still stands in my mind as my most masterful work of art. The product of years devoted to learning the craft of painting, and my epiphany regarding the poetic possibilities of picture making and story telling through my artwork, I saw this painting in my mind as a complete vision and knew exactly how I wanted to execute it. Due to it's size and complexity both in composition and glazing layers, it took me close to two weeks to complete, even though I worked quickly with a clear vision and almost no need for revising. This was and is a rare experience for me when I work, as my general approach to making art is to first get something started, and then follow a path of experimentation and revision until my growing understanding of the work allows me to see the correct path to hone and fine tune the image to it's own true nature. This can actually be a very frustrating process for me, and with large work it is usually the case that I have to let it lie fallow for weeks at a time in order to get a sense of what either works, or doesn't work, so that I can go forward and work effectively. In painting "The Realm" I never experienced doubt or frustration, only exhilaration at having every brush stroke, wipe, and drip work out for me exactly the way I had hoped it would. Ironically, I was at the threshold of a long hiatus. By the end of summer my studio and paint supplies would be in storage. It took me until 2002 to get it all back.

The Realm
oil on canvas
60 x 72

The Drowned Man 1986

This painting from 1986 was the beginning of my current approach to making pictures. I had made some technical discoveries in terms of working in oil paints, and applied them to a narrative imagery in a way that was totally new for me. I think of these works as poetic narratives. Though I am reluctant to put that kind of label on my own work and it is really for others to decide if my work can be called "poetic", outside of any public discussion of my work, this label has served me in private to define the quality of these paintings within the context of my own portfolio. For most of the last six years I have primarily relied on landscape paintings to re-establish my skills with the brush, use of colors, and the tactile qualities of the paints and mediums. Occasionally I have dipped into the narrative realm and cross-bred the landscape work with conceptual ideas and my poetic narrative ideals, but my current drive and interest is to launch full bore into the wacky world of story telling with pictures. The Watermelon Girl is part of this. Stay tuned!

1986
oil on canvas
67 3/8 x 37

Drawings from the Southern Range of Light

Over New Army Pass at 12,000+ feet to Sky Blue Lake. Some selections from my sketch book.