Happy New Year 2012

Happy New Year 2012

My New Years promise to myself for 2011 was to 

begin a blog. A place to talk a little more about my art 

and my journey bringing my visions in paint to reality. 

A place to talk about my collections that inspire me 

everyday, where I got them and their history

as I know it.

I spent time going back to my first blog post 

of January 2, 2011 to my last post of 2011. 

It was a year of great opportunities 

and meeting new wonderful people.

Thank you to everyone who has visited this blog 

through out the year. I can't wait to see what 2012 brings. 

I am busy preparing for my next big show at 

Elliott Fouts Gallery, in Sacramento, CA 

with fellow EFG artist Craig Stephens. 

Here is a sneak zoom in peek at a few of 

the paintings for the show. 

In the following weeks I will show finished 

paintings with detail leading up to the April Show. 

The show runs Apr 7, 2012 - May 3, 2012.

Balance Horse, Principle Gallery

Holiday Small Works Show

Principle Gallery

Saturday, December 3, 2011

 

Balance Horse

12" x 9"

oil on panel

sold

I continue to explore the idea of balance in my paintings. 

Balance Horse has the tension and joy created

in that moment of perfect balance.

The yellow horse is a vintage Cracker Jack prize from the 1950's.

It measures 1 3/4" tall.

Thanks to The Cracker Jack Box, I found an August 1955

comic book ad showing simular prizes.

Cracker Jack was introduced at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. The candy-coated popcorn received its trademark name in 1896. In 1912, maker F.W. Rueckheim & Bro began inserting a 

"prize in every box."

There is a growing collector market for the vintage prizes. Prizes range greatly from 1930's "Made in Japan" lithographed tin whistles, 1950's polyethylene spacemen and animals to 1970's coin holders and charms, and 1990's metallic stickers. 

I have collected a number of Cracker Jack prizes that I can't wait

to add to future paintings.

 Holiday Small Works Show

Balance Horse      and      Inner Spark

Principle Gallery

Saturday, December 3, 2011

1:00pm to 4:00pm 

Principle Gallery

208 King Street, Alexandria, VA

703-739-0528

Inner Spark, Principle Gallery

Holiday Small Works Show

Principle Gallery

Saturday, December 3, 2011

 

Inner Spark

9" x 12"

oil on panel
sold

The chalk lines show the sparks that would be coming 

out of this wonderful toy gun. You pull the trigger and 

have the surprise of whistling whirling sounds.

Sparks jump and spring, out and about.

This is a late 1950's friction spark Space Ray Gun 

made in Japan. In my internet searching, 

I have also come across simular designs made

in China in the early 1970's.

Here is a little video of this toy in action:

Principle Gallery

208 King Street, Alexandria, VA

703-739-0528

The Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition 2011, Rocket Chalk

Rocket Chalk

 

I am proud to share that Rocket Chalk was awarded a finalist in 

The Artist’s Magazine’s Annual Art Competition 2011 

in the Still Life category. 

Look for the December issue of the magazine to see all the top winners and list of finalists in all categories. 

Here is a link to the Artist's Magazine online article: 

Still Life/Floral Winners 

from the 28th Annual Art Competition

Reception, The Still Life

Elliott Fouts Gallery

The Still Life

  Reception

Saturday, October 8th

6:00pm to 9:00pm

 

The Still Life

Elliott Fouts Gallery

Sacramento, CA

American Art Collector #72 October 2011

 

The Art of Composing

American Art Collector 72

October 2011

I am honored to be included in an article about  

The Still Life 

at the 

Elliott Fouts Gallery

Sacramento, CA.

The show is October 1 to November 2, 2011. 

Also shown in the article is Jeff Cohen,

Todd Ford, and Alvin Richard. 

To view the show:

The Still Life, Elliott Fouts Gallery

American Art Collector Magazine:

American Art Collector

The Still Life, Elliott Fouts Gallery, and Harmonia Axyridis

The Still Life  

An Invitational Group Show

Elliott Fouts Gallery

Sacramento, CA

October 1 - November 2, 2011

Elliott Fouts Gallery

  Opening this weekend is The Still Life at 

Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA.  

Other participating artists include Jeff Cohen, Jelaine Faunce, 

Todd Ford, Russell Harris, James Neil Hollingsworth, 

 Mary Ellen Johnson, Judy Nunes, Alvin Richard, 

and Christopher Stott. 

Link to the show:

The Still Life

 

 Harmonia Axyridis

16" x 20"

oil on panel

Growing up in the farmlands of the Midwest, I took delight during the Summers chasing and catching butterflies and various beetles. One particular Summer when I was around 8 years old I had caught quite a few, and poured over my families insect books trying to identify all the varieties. The following Summer there were hardly any butterflies. I believed it was because of all my chasing and catching. I never caught another live one after that Summer. Many years later I learned it was because of a particularly harsh Winter we had that year and not because of my 8 year old self.

I still love bugs. I have added some bugs to my collection, but of a tin wind up variety. The title Harmonia Axyridis is latin for Asian Lady Beetle. I thought it was appropriate for this Japanese tin ladybug wind up toy. The orange handled school scissors remind me of my young self.

 

detail from

Harmonia Axyridis

 Monkeying Around

12" x 12"

oil on panel

In Monkeying Around I really wanted to explore transparency. More glass. More marbles. The star being the green plastic monkey

playfully balancing on the marble.