Moonlight Sunflowers

 THE INSPIRATION: my neighbors amazing giant sunflowers! I took many,many,many pictures from all angles of these babies.

 THE CHALLENGE: A TRIPTYCH!    I wanted to do this as a series of 3 paintings, done as one complete image, so I build a cradle to hold the pieces together.

THE SKETCH: I needed a starting point, using the pictures I had taken, I quickly roughed out a layout that would allow me to space the paintings so each one could stand strongly on its own.

END RESULT AND GETTING THERE: For some reason, I decided to try out some black gesso as a base, instead of white. I thought that it would help me with the overall effect of the seeds in the end. I had to buy a white water color pencil to block in my rough idea from above. Originally this was to be a full color piece, but the white on black got me thinking, so I took a walk that night to ponder, walking past the sunflowers by moonlight, the idea hit! I have been working on it for 4 months now, and finished it last night. Though am not sure how to sign it. Does one sign each piece individually, or spread the signature across the 3 pieces???? I don't know.

Wood: creating the first part of my grape arbor.

This is my first large scale wood carving, made out of one 8 foot 2x10 piece of fir. I still have to make the tail piece, but together they will become my grape arbor. Start to install.

Starting a new sea horse piece

WORK IN PROGRESS

Time to get away from bicycles and trees for awhile. So I wanted to play with glazing again and to challenge myself to try painting another set of sea horses. So here is the beginnings of that process after 3 sittings. Each sitting was about 6-8 hours. Can't wait to see how this one turns out!

My lovers hand

It has been a tough year for my life partner Ann. She always wanted me to paint her, but I don't think she was expecting me to do something like this. It is the hand that she has had and will have more surgery on this year. The hand I hold and kiss. The knot represents one of the screws in that delicate appendage. I plan on holding that hand through all seasons.

THAT IS A LOT OF BIKES!

I have all 8 bicycles back in my possession, as I am going to have them all made into full size giclee prints this month,separately.  Just in time for the 2016 Fairfield Artists Studio Tour in May!