"The Ascent" is a Finalist in the International Artist Magazine Competition

My painting "The Ascent" is a Finalist in the Favorite Subjects Competition 2009. It's in Issue # 68, August-September 2009 and in bookstores now.


The painting is printed full page along with an interview featuring paragraphs on: My Inspiration, My Design Strategy, and My Working Process. This painting is 55x32 and is oil on canvas over panel. Here are a few details from the painting.





This piece is part of my Building a Life Series, and may also be viewed on the
Available Works Page of my website.

"Honey Chile" 12x12

This is the same model I used in my Frog Princess series. I loved her provocative expression and had to try to capture it with paint. She'd brought the peonies with her to the photo shoot and posed very naturally with them.
While I was painting this I was listening to a Fat's Domino Tribute Album and was enchanted by a Lucinda Williams version of Honey Chile. Her latest album is Little Honey and classic Lucinda in it's bold sensuality.

Honey Chile is such a common endearment here in the south I knew I'd found the title for the piece, but the painting itself was still lacking something. The honey lyrics had brought to mind bees so into the painting they went, a small symbol to represent that irresistible, intangible quality of attraction.

This painting may also be viewed on the
Available Works Page of my website.

"Longing" 24x28

"Longing" has been an interesting painting for me to watch people view. I ask them what is the girl looking at? What is her relationship with the young man in the background? I get a different answer every time.
I was trying to capture a certain longing that seems to be a human condition. Wherever we are, don't we always wonder what else is out there? Are we taken away from the here and now moment, the people that we are with, by the distractions of the modern world?
It was a challenge to paint the young man's face looking at the girl. The first time I painted him he was looking at me. For me when one of the models is looking at the viewer it is an invitation for us to participate in the drama.




Here's the original sketchbook page for this painting. I jot down ideas, really just thumbnails of concepts not meant to be beautiful by any means, simply a reminder to myself. I overheard someone say "pressed up against the glass" and they meant wanting something badly, I think that's what started me thinking about this as a painting. There is a Bonnie Raitt song, "Longing in Their Hearts" that is on a similar theme.

This painting may also be viewed also on the Available Works Page of my website.