My FIFO Daddy

These are in my niece Aimee's book. It is for sale and you can order it by going to My FIFO Daddy website.

For those of you who don't know, my niece Aimee and her family have been living in Western Australia. Her husband Flies In and Flies Out to work in isolated mining camps for weeks at a time. It can be a hard life for families and that is why Aimee created this children's book. I am very honored that she asked me to illustrate it. A percentage of the profits will go back into suicide prevention programs. The book just got into the state library of Perth and a copy will be archived.

Head Down

6x6

acrylic on gessobord

sold

Yesterday I spent the entire day working on a painting that I consider a failure at the moment. Ughh! So I decided to look for something that would change my mood. This is a small painting of our dog Moe who has since gone on. He was such a good boy! I started painting it last night and finished this morning. I enjoyed the abstract elements in the light and in the shadow. 

I have been listening to Brian Rutenberg on YouTube. He is a wonderful abstract painter who has short videos on his thoughts about what it means to be an artist. He references all kinds of art that has influenced his work.

You can check out Brian Rutenberg's talks by clicking here.

Wish me luck on Best Seat II...

16x16

acrylic on cradled panel
sold

I posted this when I was doing the first pass and counted it in for the "30 in 30" challenge. I finished it this morning. I have been working on it throughout the last 2 weeks, an hour here, an hour there. I did get to avoid going in for a meeting on Tuesday so that I could devote that day to painting the bulk of it. Thanks guys! (You know who you are!) Today I will trek down to Tracy to enter it in the Expressions Show. If its juried in, it will be displayed 2/13 to 2/20/15. 

Although Tracy is a city about an hour away, its worth traveling to it. It was the first art show I ever entered. I got 2nd place and was so thrilled to think that someone thought enough of my work to actually award it. That was 2003.

Hey, its Saturday!

2/14 update. This got 2nd place and was sold at the show!

The Shoppers, Stanley Goldstein and the Savvy Painter podcast.

16x16

oil on cradled panel

Yes, I have posted this before but I wanted to connect you with someone I think is a great painter and teacher; Stanley Goldstein. I worked on this, in my sessions with Stanley, every Monday night. I am not sure for how long. Let's just say I was overjoyed to have finished it!

Stanley was recently interviewed on Antrese Wood's Savvy Painter Podcast. I thought it was a wonderful interview! I love listening to Antrese and discovered her interviews about 6 months ago. They help to reveal the artist's process. The more I listen, the more I realize there is no end to figuring out painting!

Listen to Stanley's interview by clicking here.

See Stanley Goldstein's work by clicking here.

Hear more interviews on the Savvy Painter podcast by clicking here.

 

See Antrese's work by clicking here.

Happy Thursday!