Brown Pelican | Archival Giclee Print | 12x15" image 17x20" paper | edition of 35
Even small towns that you have lived in for years hold secrets just when you thought that you knew every nook and cranny of the place. Such is the just opened Haven Underground, a 4,000 Sq Ft underground night club and exhibition space that was built during the California Gold Rush. The space sits squarely under the heavily touristed Broad Street in Nevada City, Ca. This space holds a few secrets with it's locked up underground iron doors that rumor says, "lead all around under the city with trap doors entering some of the oldest buildings in the 4 square block downtown". I love the history and the mystery of the space.
During the weekend the Haven will be featuring many speaking engagements and the after hour parties including music during SYRCL's, Wild & Scenic Film Festival. A weekend pass includes access to all films including a Saturday evening with Amy Goodman at the Veterans Hall. This will be a great weekend of inspiring environmentalism and sustainability leadership.
I will be having a 3 day show of my environmentally inspired art portraying unique and endangered creatures that have been impacted by our modern industrialized world. This exhibit has been organized by the Nevada County Arts.
Here is one of my latest illustrated Fables for young readers. This story and many others will be included into a broader reading program for kids. This assignment was commissioned by 3CD Chicago. This is a story about a little bird with a broken wing and a challenging Winter fast approaching as he journeys out looking for shelter among the trees while all of his winged bird friends fly south to warmer climate. As the story goes, some trees shoo the little fella away while others take him in. Mother nature has the last call in this tale about, "Evergreen Trees". Moral of the story, help the little guy or freeze your trunks off!. The folk up here in Northern California are experiencing the driest and warmest months in the last 30 years, bring on some weather and snow so we can fly south in our own style!
"Couple #1" | Monotype | 12x15" image, 17x20 sheet | 1991| my signature was so dorky in '91!
20 years ago I started my "Couples" series. This week I hit 200 pieces between paintings and works on paper. The beginning of the series was inspired by Henri Matisse and his incredible, "Back" sculpture series. You can see the influence in my first "Couple #1" piece. When I saw his "Back" series I thought, "I gotta do that", well, I tried at least! My latest commission has been for a collector who wanted a specific "Tango" inspired Monotype of mine that was gone so I made a suite of small "Tango" pieces for them to pick from. It took me 17 years to create the first 100 pieces in this series and the last two and a half years to create the other 100. I think that I am getting a little faster and a little better at this! Have a Creative and Happy 2012 Ya'll!
Henri Matisse, The Back Series, The Back IV, c. 1931, Museum of Modern Art, New York
"Tango Couple #194" | Monotype | 5x7" image, 8x10" sheet | 2011 | I made these 7 pieces one after another. Creating a suite in one sitting I always rush the first plate with over inking and impatience. I settled down on the remaining 6
These days my fine art career is looking and behaving more like my illustration career. I have been getting more and more private commissions for my personal work. Yesterday, one of my galleries called me saying that a guy came back to the gallery to purchase 2 works on paper for his wife's birthday but they had sold them last weekend. As I was talking to the gallery the guy is texting me to see if I could help him out with a deadline of 5 days to be shipped and delivered? He mentioned that they love my work, that was all that he had to say, I'm in! So, I made him the 2 pieces "in the spirit of" what he wanted. It is getting really fun thinking of personal work becoming so deadline driven. Here are the 2 pieces that I made for him. (above)
"Woman #191 a different view" | Monotype |12x15" image 17x20" sheet
I made this Monotype the other night after I had finished all of my commercial responsibilities, I needed to let off a bit of artistic steam. In game like fashion, I time everything that I work on, it doesn't matter if it is a painting, printmaking or digital work, everything gets timed, it makes work seem more entertaining for me. I started this piece at 7:46 pm, it took a few turns from the sketch and was finished at 11:17, I like that it didn't follow the sketch. Last week I started a very fun and large oil painting commission of, "Hummingbirds and Insects" and it feels great as an artist to be challenged by the scale of this painting, although my poor little 300 sq ft studio is having a hard time adapting to this large format! Get with it studio, No turning back!
Sketch for "Woman #191"
My studio last week after I transferred the approved design. Getting a bit tight! If you are wondering, my modern computers are directly behind me. The drone computer seen in the foreground has one purpose, it is connected to a pro flatbed scanner, old school.
Approved design. I designed the piece in a small format and it was amazing after I enlarged it to see the Hummingbird 3' tall, it is so much fun working big.
