Gary Rea - Abstract Artist

Latest Works

2009-02-26T09:15:00.008-06:00

Here's my latest work. Meanwhile, you may have noticed that I'm asking for donations for art supplies, which are dwindling rapidly, due to the fact that I lost my "day job" back in November and there is nothing currently in sight, yet. If this situation drags on into May and June, I will not be able to renew either my domain or webhosting for my website. Of course, I'd still have this blog, however, assuming I continue to have internet access service at all. So, any help I can get would be very much appreciated and, to show my appreciation, I'm offering an original 8.5"x11" painting on paper to all who make a minimum donation of $25. That's a $180 value for $25, or a discount of about 14% off the regular price.

Anyway, over the last several days (and I skipped a few days), I've completed the following: White No. 15, Blue No. 15, Brown & White No. 15, Blue No. 16, Blue No. 17, Green & White No. 7 and yesterday's Magenta & White No. 5.

2009-02-20T22:37:00.000-06:00

Latest Works

2009-02-16T14:34:00.007-06:00

Here are the latest paintings: Green & Magenta No. 8, Blue on Blue No. 5, Brown & White No. 14, Magenta & White No. 4, Burnt Sienna & White No. 3 and Green & White No. 6.

Black & White No. 32, White No. 14 and Brown & White No. 13

2009-02-09T21:48:00.004-06:00

My output for Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Black & White No. 32, White No. 14 and Brown & White No. 13, respectively.

Black & White No. 31, Green & White No. 5 and Blue No. 14

2009-02-06T22:34:00.004-06:00

A few days ago, I began "slacking off;" i.e., going back to one painting a day from the two paintings I'd been doing since about December or so. Actually, it's certainly not due to a lack of enthusiasm or interest, just that I'm getting low on painting supplies and money, as well. Unless you're one of these yuppies who still hasn't felt the pinch yet, you're aware the economy is imploding all around us. I could say much more on that, but this isn't the appropriate forum for it.

Anyway, here are my three latest paintings, Black & White No. 31, Green & White No. 5 and Blue No. 14.

Note that in Blue No. 14 I have again switched blues and, yes, for economic reasons, as before. I think I have about three or four different blues I can use, so I'm switching between them to extend my supply.

More New Paintings

2009-02-02T12:23:00.015-06:00

Catching up, yet again. Here are my latest paintings, which includes Orange & White No. 7; three new additions to the Blue series; the first two of a new series titled Yellow Ochre & Brown; two additions to the Black & White series; two additions to the Brown & White series and four new additions to the Jazz series.

Note that, in Jazz 13 through Jazz 16 the heavy texture in the black ground, which was a feature of the first twelve paintings in the series, has not been carried through to these latest four additions. This is due to using fluid black acrylic for the ground, as opposed to the black tube color used in the first paintings. The fluid acrylic, being thinner, doesn't create the heavy textural effects I was getting previously. So, the look is somewhat different in these latest versions.

Also of note is the switch to a different blue in Blue No. 12 and Blue No. 13. This was simply due to the fact I was out of the original blue at the time and so used what I had on hand. I was thinking the two blues were more nearly the same, but, as it turned out, they are slightly different in hue and intensity. Actually, I personally prefer the muted blue of these latest two paintings.

I Guess...

2009-01-24T14:38:00.007-06:00

...I need to tie a string around my brush or something, to remind me to post here! I've really fallen behind, this time. Added to my works since Green & White No. 2 are Green & White No. 3 & 4, as well as the start of a new series, Burnt Sienna & White, followed by six new additions to the Black & White series, four additions to the White series, the latest two in the Blue & Purple series, six more additions to the Brown & White series, and a couple of new entries to the Orange & White series.

The casual viewer may get the impression, as Denise Lassaw (daughter of sculptor Ibram Lassaw), a great artist in her own right, did, that my paintings are, as she has said, "...too similar." Well, yes, they are. That is the result of my process and I'm a process-oriented painter, so that will tend to be the case, as I've said here before.

What I'm attempting to do is to build a cohesive body of work that has a certain unity and which is unmistakably mine. To that end, I believe I'm doing rather well. By confining my work - at least, for the time being, anyway; I do intend to work on canvas again and at a larger scale, later in the year - to a set surface (paper), format (portrait) and size (8.5"x11"), the only variables left for me to work within are (1) the type of paint, (2) the tools I'm using, (3) the colors I've selected and (4) the angle, direction, length and velocity of the strokes I make, either with my brushes (for the ground plane) or with the knife. Within these confines, though, I find a myriad of possibilities.

Even so, yes, there is a degree of sameness from one image to the next and I make no apologies for this, as it's fully intentional. First of all, I'm developing a style of my own - one that I hope is as uniquely mine as my signature is. To that end, the process I'm using serves me well, especially since I don't see anyone else painting in the same way I am. That's a good thing. If I were doing what everyone else is doing, what would there be to distinguish myself with? By using the process I started in the late eighties, abandoned for a while and then picked up again last year, and further developing it, I have found that I can create a body of work that is uniquely my own and it is because of the process that drives it.

But the main factor driving the similarity from one painting to the next, aside from confining myself to the set of variables I've listed above, is my own unique stroke. There are certain repetitions of patterns I've used - either consciously or not - that have established a sort of visual vocabularly that I am the only speaker of. From time to time, when I become more conscious of what I'm doing (or about to do), I'll deliberately change my angle of attack or where I place the paint on the paper, just to get away from what I've been doing and to create a different pattern. Even then, though, I find myself returning to the same alternate patterns. So, after noticing my knife had begun leaving marks and lines in the paint, simply from lack of proper cleaning (the dried paint tends to accumulate at the knife edge and this drags through the paint surface, leaving tracks in it), I decided I liked the look and began consciously incorporating deliberate lines into my paintings, which echo the general direction and path of my previous knife strokes. I've done this for no other reason than that I like the look and it adds yet another visual element of interest to direct the eye of the viewer. I suppose that's why I liked it, myself. So, what I am doing is as much a process of self-discovery as it is a process of painting. I am in a feedback loop, so to speak, interacting with the evidence of my own actions. But, doesn't this happen for all artists, to an extent, regardless of their chosen medium?

Playing Catch-Up Again

2009-01-19T02:41:00.012-06:00

Oops! Got behind again. Here's my latest: a new series, Burnt Sienna & White; six new additions to the Black & White series and four additions to the White series.

Green & White No. 1 & 2

2009-01-13T12:09:00.005-06:00

Okay, I'm back on track with my postings, now, at least, for today, anyway. Here is yesterday's output: Green & White No. 1 and Green & White No. 2. This continues the concept of using a single color on a white ground, as I've been doing, lately - and have been doing, off and on, since I began doing these small paintings on paper, back in mid-October (the point at which I went from the 14"x17" paper format to the 8.5"x11" cardstock I've been using since). Actually, I started the single color on a white ground before then. Anyway, I'm continuing in that vein, lately, trying some combinations I hadn't yet explored, and these two are the latest, as of Monday.

I selected Thalo Green as the color for my foreground knifework in this series, simply because I was too low on Permanent Green to complete a pair of paintings yesterday. So, you see, we artists make some of our decisions based upon the most mundane and practical of matters, not always out of some mystical visionary revelation that came to us in the middle of the night. I hate to break it to you, but that's probably more often the case than not.

Anyway, the Thalo Green wouldn't have been my preference of greens, if I'd had adequate supplies on hand, as it tends to be too dark when in its fully concentrated form; i.e., when it's spread thickly. The only places where the color green really becomes apparent, where it really "reads" as a green, are in those areas that are spread more thinly over the white ground. In this respect, the Permanent Green would have been a better choice, as it's more readily seen as green, whether spread thick or thin.

Having said that, I'll now address the green in the ground, which is obviously not pure white, for a reason. Yes, I did do that deliberately! As I've been doing all along, I paint my grounds starting with an underpainting of either the same color I'll be using for the knifework, or I use another shade of the same color. In some cases, I'll use a Nutmeg Brown underpainting, even if I'm not using brown as my knifework color. In this case, the underpainting is Hooker's Green. As usual, I have scumbled the dominant ground color (white, in this case) over the underpainting, very loosely and rapidly, with the idea in mind of allowing the underpainting to show through, here and there. That's how the rich variety of visual textures are created in the ground plane. Sometimes, as I'm doing this, I have the thought of someone watching me do it and saying to me, "Oh, you missed a spot!" To which I'd reply, "Yes, I did, and quite intentionally, too!" Now you know why I paint alone. ;)
The whole idea is to create a painting that has something there to keep the viewer's eyes constantly moving.

If the whole painting is immediately apprehended at first glance, the viewer will lose interest almost right away. Since I have no recognizable subject matter to grab and hold a viewer's interest, I am forced to grab their attention and hold it with the very paint, itself, or, rather, with how the paint is handled. Thus, you see how it is that my work is all about the paint, how it's handled and it's relationship to the surface (the paper, in this case). This sort of explains why minimalism has never found a very large or enthusiastic audience, doesn't it? If the painting is all one color, without any variation in the color and no texture at all, the whole painting is taken in at a single moment's glance - and then the viewer is off to look at another painting.

I recently viewed an online gallery that consisted entirely of several minimalist painters' works, and everything there looked pretty much the same - not only within each painter's portfolio, but from painter to painter. Unless you looked very closely, you'd swear the webmaster had simply copied and pasted the same images into each artist's page, over and over again. The only standouts were those who were daring enough to depart from the conventional canvas support and try painting on sheet metal (steel or aluminum, I think), letting the reflective properties of the metal show through the transparently applied paint. These were the most interesting pieces displayed there.

Like a well written song, a painting needs to have its "hooks" - those little elements that, when combined together, grab and holder the listener's or, in the case of paintings, the viewer's attention and won't let go. So, that's part of what I am striving to create in my paintings. To the extent that I do so is the extent to which they succeed, in my opinion.

More New Works

2009-01-12T08:14:00.011-06:00

Here I go, catching up on my blogging again. This time, I'm adding the two latest additions to my Blue on Orange series, No. 3 & 4; a new series, Brown on White and another new series, Orange on White.

Blue on Blue and Brown on Orange

2009-01-07T00:21:00.006-06:00

These are my latest additions to the Blue on Blue and Brown on Orange series; Blue on Blue No. 3 and 4, and Brown on Orange No. 3 and 4. That makes a total of 14 new paintings in the first six days of the new year.

Behind Again

2009-01-04T15:47:00.012-06:00

Here we go again! Here are the first two of a new series titled Blue on Blue, the first two of yet another new series titled Brown on Orange, then there is Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6, and, lastly, the first two of another new series, started last night, titled Blue on Orange (not to be confused with my earlier series Blue & Orange).

Catching Up...Again

2009-01-01T18:16:00.029-06:00

I'm finally catching up, here, after falling way behind in my posting. I've added several new paintings since the Red White & Blue series, and these are four new additions to the Brown series; the first two paintings in a new series titled Brown Green Yellow Ochre; the first three of another new series, titled Brown & Green; the first two in yet another new series, titled Brown & Red; two new additions to my Blue & Orange series; four additions to the Green & Magenta series; two new additions to the White on Blue series; the first four of another new series, titled Yellow, and the first four of yet another new series, titled Orange.

These new paintings, save for the latest two paintings in the Orange Series (Orange No. 3 and Orange No. 4), can be found under "2008" on the newly redesigned website. I have made a fresh start for 2009 and have archived my entire output for 2008 under the link "2008," oddly enough. There you will find all the content that was there before.

Meanwhile, the new 2009 version of the site features my painting, Green & Magenta No. 7 on the opening page. The site has been reorganized for 2009, to reflect the direction I'm headed in, lately; i.e., exclusively focused on creating small paintings on paper for reproduction. Gone is the page for paintings on canvas, at least for now, anyway. As I don't think it would make much sense to have an empty page for that, I'll wait until I've done some new paintings on canvas before I add that page back to the new site design. So, until then, it's just the small paintings on paper and the prints you can order of them.

There are only two new paintings, so far, for 2009, but, this being only the first day of the new year, you can expect rapid growth ahead, given my prodigious output between August and the end of 2008.

Now that I have arrived at a well defined style and process, you can expect it to continue and I have many ideas I have yet to try out; different color palettes, and so forth. Also, I am eager to produce some new paintings on canvas, which will be the first to be produced in this style. Those I did last year were precursors to what I am doing now and I am anxious to see how well the compositions I've done at 8.5"x11" on paper translate to canvases in the range of 24"x30" to 30"x40" and larger. The technique will be the same, though the quantities of paint and the size of my tools will increase to accommodate the increase in scale. The hold-up is due to economics, with the economy the way it is, but I will eventually get to it later on - unless the economy completely collapses, that is.

Red White & Blue

2008-12-20T13:19:00.003-06:00

I'm starting a new series, Red White & Blue, with these two paintings. Despite the obvious allusion to the American flag, there is no subject matter intended, of course. Take it as you wish. The ground is True Navy, followed by white fluid acrylics, and the knifework is carmine, ultramarine blue and titanium white tube colors.

Magenta & White

2008-12-18T17:16:00.003-06:00

These two are additions to my Magenta & White series: Magenta & White No. 2 and Magenta & White No. 3. The ground is white over bright magenta fluid acrylics and the knifework consists of magenta and white tube colors. Both were painted Wednesday.

White & Yellow Ochre

2008-12-18T17:08:00.005-06:00

A couple of new additions to my White & Yellow Ochre series, here: White & Yellow Ochre No. 3 and White & Yellow Ochre No. 4. A friend says they look like butterscotch and cream, but, after my Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Caramel and Cherry Vanilla paintings, I thought it best to avoid any further food references in the titling. The ground for these, which were painted Tuesday, is white over Nutmeg Brown, both fluid acrylics. The knifework consists of white and yellow ochre tube colors.

Orange & Black

2008-12-18T16:58:00.003-06:00

Here are a couple of new additions to my Orange & Black series, Orange & Black No. 3 and Orange & Black No. 4. These were painted on Monday, December 15th. The ground, admittedly, looks almost more brownish than orange - call it a "burnt" orange, then, I guess. This is due to a layer of black lurking beneath two coats of a darker and then a lighter orange, allowing some of the black to peek through here and there. I had tried an earlier version without the black underpainting, but the result was a very intense, flat orange with no texture or detail to it, so I started over. That's the first time that's happened, by the way. Usually, I display everything I paint.

Blue & Purple

2008-12-16T08:53:00.004-06:00

Sunday, I started a new series, Blue & Purple. This is Blue & Purple No. 1 and Blue & Purple No. 2. These are done entirely in fluid acrylic, hence the very slight difference in the look, from my usual paintings. The fluid acrylic, being thinner and runnier, tends to drip a bit more and, thus, calls for faster, more immediate action when applying to the paper. Also, being less viscous than the tube colors, there is almost no impasto - in fact, it's rather thin. Another difference between the fluid and tube colors is that, with these particular fluid colors I'm using, the paint dries flat, as opposed to glossy. So, overall, these are the factors that account for any noticeable differences.

Most of my small paintings on paper have been a combination of fluid and tube colors. I usually reserve the tube colors for the knifework, painting the ground in either all fluid acrylic, or in a combination of tube and fluid, depending upon what colors I'm using and whether or not I want more texture.

Catching Up

2008-12-14T22:03:00.013-06:00

I've either been very productive, lately or I've fallen way behind - or both. Either way, here's what I've been working on:

Two new additions to the Blue series, Blue No. 9 and Blue No. 10.

Two new additions to the Yellowjacket series, Yellowjacket 4 & 5.

A new series, Blue Brown & Green (numbers 1 through 4).

And four new additions to the Red & White series, Red & White 4, 5, 6, & 7.

Blue & Green

2008-12-08T22:08:00.006-06:00

Finally getting caught up, now. Here are the first two of a new series titled Blue & Green, both painted today.

You may have noticed that, since Blue & Orange No. 8 I've been adding some arcs, scratched through the wet paint with the edge of my knife. In the first of these, the lines were accidental, but I've decided I like the effect so much that I've begun deliberately incorporating it into each painting, now. Why not? I'm making the rules, here.

White No. 8 & 9

2008-12-08T22:05:00.003-06:00

Here are the latest additions to my White series, White No. 8 and White No. 9.

White on Blue 6 & 7

2008-12-08T22:00:00.003-06:00

I've been falling behind on my posting, lately. Here are White on Blue 6 and White on Blue 7.

White on Blue

2008-12-02T09:55:00.003-06:00

Here are my latest, a couple of additions to my White on Blue series, White on Blue 4 and White on Blue 5, completed yesterday.

Green Revisited

2008-11-30T14:21:00.003-06:00

Just a couple of recent additions to my Green series, here. In these two paintings, done yesterday, I've added a little dash of a lighter green in fluid acrylic, which differs from the first three paintings in the series. I've put these two on the Prints page of my site, linked to Red Bubble.

Earth Suite

2008-11-28T18:22:00.005-06:00

I started this new series on Thanksgiving Day. I knew only that I was going to do something with an earth-toned color scheme and, other than that, I had no particular subject in mind. When I finished the first one several titles came to mind before I settled on Earth Suite. In the third and fourth paintings, I suppose I let the title I'd chosen suggest the addition of some greens, rounding out the previously unintended allusion to the natural environment. Even so, there is still no hint of recognizable imagery, although the viewer might think otherwise. None was intended, anyway.

Jazz Revisited

2008-11-27T17:18:00.003-06:00

Getting back to my Jazz series, here are Jazz 11 and Jazz 12.

The Chocolate Caramel Series

2008-11-26T01:25:00.004-06:00

A friend suggested yet another "flavor" I should try, and the result is the Chocolate Caramel series. Though I really started out with no subject matter in mind in the Chocolate Mint series, I suppose the suggestion of some vague reference to candy in Chocolate Caramel does exist, since the title and look were suggested to me beforehand. Even so, it's not intended as a literal depiction of either chocolate or caramel, though there is a strong resemblance. I hate it when objective imagery creeps into non-objective painting. Then people start judging it by the wrong criteria. Anyway, I won't let that happen again.

The Chocolate Mint Series

2008-11-22T21:11:00.005-06:00

When I completed the first of this series, so far numbering three paintings, I was unsure what to call it, at first. A couple of things occurred to me, including "Brown & Green No. 1," but, as I looked at it, the name "Chocolate Mint" popped into my head and I liked it so I went with that, instead. It's totally non-objective; I didn't have any particular subject matter in mind when I did the painting, but the resulting image did suggest chocolate mint ice cream, I suppose, or maybe one of those chocolate mint patties you get in a restaurant after a good meal. I showed it to a friend, who instantly loved it, so I decided to do a few more. For me, the first is still the best, though. The lines, the forms and shapes and the movement, I think, are best in that original image. But, feel free to disagree.

Meanwhile, I've just done a short promo video on You Tube.

Lemon Twist

2008-11-20T14:16:00.002-06:00

A little something different, here: Lemon Twist, which makes use of a pale palette. The title is simply derived from the dominant color, yellow. I may continue this as a series, though I've been working on some other projects, lately, as well. More on those later.

Jazz 8, 9 & 10

2008-11-20T14:11:00.004-06:00

Wrapping up the Jazz series, at least for now (I may make further additions to it later), here are Jazz 8, 9 & 10.

Jazz 4, 5 , 6 & 7

2008-11-18T08:02:00.005-06:00

Here are the latest additions to the Jazz series, painted Sunday and Monday. I like where this is going, so far. The black showing through the colors is due to my technique on this series. Like a couple of other series I've done earlier, I'm using an old 4" brush that has become stiff as a board in order to paint the black ground. This imparts a textured brush stroke to the ground and, once dried, I then scumble the other colors over it with my knife. The ridges formed by the texture are what give the painting it's interesting textural treatment, which I really like. I hope you do, also.

Jazz 2 & 3

2008-11-16T13:37:00.003-06:00

Continuing with the new Jazz series, here are Jazz 2 and Jazz 3.

Jazz

2008-11-15T22:40:00.002-06:00

As I mentioned earlier, I'm starting a new, more colorful series today. I'm calling it Jazz.

Brown No. 5

2008-11-15T13:48:00.004-06:00

Here is Brown No. 5, my latest. I think I may do one more of these before adding a new page to the "Prints" section of my website (I noticed the page loading time has gotten a little slower, the more images I have there, so I need to break it up a bit). I think, at that point, I will do some other color palettes, as well. Not that I'm done with the Brown series; it's just that I don't like to spend too much time on any one series. The fact that I have mulptiple series is, in part, to give me something else I can work on if I get bored with one or another series. Not that I'm bored. I just don't want you getting bored with my work, so a little variety helps. Besides, I want to explore other color combinations that I haven't touched upon yet. There is always something new coming.

Brown No. 3 & 4

2008-11-14T08:11:00.003-06:00

Here are the latest in the Brown series, No. 3 & 4. By the way, I'm hoping this series will catch the eye of those art consultants and interior designers out there who keep saying they want earthtones. Hint, hint. If not, then I'd like to get back to something more colorful because all this black and brown is depressing me! Seriously, though, one of my objectives is to cater to the decor market by providing a range of color options, so I've been exploring different palettes in order to acheive this. Besides, it's more interesting, to me, to try the same concepts in different color combinations, anyway. Some will like one combination, while others will like another and I'm trying to appeal to as broad a market as possible - within the confines of my chosen Abstract Expressionist niche, that is. Sorry, I'm not going to paint pretty pictures of horses or flowers just because it sells. Or does it?

Brown No. 1 & 2

2008-11-12T22:44:00.003-06:00

I've begun a new series this evening, the Brown series. Here are Brown No. 1 and Brown No. 2.

Meanwhile, on Red Bubble, the Abstract Painting Group, which I'm a member of, has begun a book project which will focus upon the various working processes of the member artists. We've all been invited to write a short article about our process, which I've already done this evening, and we'll accompany these with photos of works in progress. So, I'm planning on shooting progress photos of my next painting, possibly tomorrow night. Just in case my submission doesn't make it into the book (there are over 1,700 members in the group, so, obviously, not everyone is going to be included), I'll be publishing my article and process photos here in my blog, at some point.

Black & White No. 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22

2008-11-11T21:10:00.006-06:00

Just catching up, here. Monday I painted No. 18, 19 and 20 and today I did 21 and 22, so, I've been exceeding the "painting a day" ethic, here and there, lately. Sorry to all you daily painters out there. It's really not my intention to make you look like slackers. I've just worked out my process so I can work on up to four paintings at once, when I want to. Not using a traditional easel is part of it. As I've mentioned, I tape the paper to the wall (which is covered with plastic trash bags and newspaper to protect the wall finish) and the tape forms a margin around the image area on the originals (which is cropped out of the digital scan later, to facilitate the printing process). Anyway, I have enough wall area in the corner of the spare bedroom I use as my studio to accomodate a maximum of four sheets of 8.5"x11" paper side by side, as long as they're all arranged in portrait format, that is. By the way, you may have noticed that all of my work, with but rare exception, is in portrait format. Part of it is this setup, but I've also become accustomed to that format and enjoy the compositions I get with it. Besides, if you're doing work in series, as I am, it's a good idea to make each piece in the series as consistent as possible. The only break I've made in the Black & White series has been going from 14"x17" bristol board down to 8.5"x11" card stock, in order to accomodate my scanner bed's dimensions. Other than that and the compositions of the paintings themselves, they all share the same properties, at least from No. 12 onward, anyway. Had I conceived, from the beginning, of using my scanner instead of my 5 megapixel digital camera to capture my paintings with, they'd have all been 8.5"x11".

Black & White No. 16 & 17

2008-11-09T19:28:00.003-06:00

Further additions to the Black & White series, here. By the way, you may have noticed the "white" isn't entirely white, nor are these paintings entirely black and white, either. This is because I begin them all with an underpainting of an orangish brown in fluid acrylic, over which I scumble white. I like the brushy textures I get, as well as the little bits of brown showing through, which kind of wind up making faint little taupe textural elements in the ground. When my knife scrapes through the underlying white, occasionally, the blending of black, white and brown adds a faint bit of warmth to the black, as well. I love it when that happens.

So, I guess, in revealing that fact, I've let you know that these paintings involve a three-step process; they're not as spontaneous and gestural as they may appear. Nothing wrong with that, though. I never said I'm trying to "paint from my unconscious" or anything like that. I admit to being somewhat more formalistic than some other Abstract Expressionists. But then, Kline and De Kooning pre-planned their "spontaneous" images. Kline did sketches on phone book pages, while De Kooning once told Kline he should try tracing shapes made with an opaque projector. So, I guess that makes me somewhat more spontaneous than they were. It really doesn't matter, anyway. The viewer only sees the completed painting, not the process, and most don't really care what went into its creation, unless they're hung up on the assumption that it's the relative degree of difficulty of the process that makes it "art." But, that's craftsmanship, which is not really the same thing. I subscribe to the idea that it's the final image that counts and that whatever it takes to create it - whether laborious or easily executed - is only secondary. While I'm a process oriented painter and my images derive entirely from my choice of materials, tools and, above all, technique, it is still the outcome of this process that is the art, not the route taken to its realization.

Black & White No. 12, 13, 14 & 15

2008-11-08T14:03:00.006-06:00

After completing Green No. 3, the other day, I was reviewing my various series and decided it was time to return to one of my personal favorites, the Black & White series. It's perhaps my favorite because it reminds me most of one of my major influences, Franz Kline. Even though our strokes are different, as well as our techniques, and these works are at the other end of the size range, as well, Kline is most noted for his black and white paintings. I suppose it's their appeal to me that makes me want to paint in black and white, also. There is just something about being confined to only two colors that emphasizes form, shape, texture and value even more. These elements tend to become overwhelmed in color works because color, especially if it's brilliant and pure, tends to dominate. So, every once in a while, I feel the need to depart from the colors, to an extent (black and white are still colors, even if most people don't think so) and get back to tonal values and contrasts, which become most evident in black and white.

Green No. 2 & No. 3

2008-11-06T05:44:00.004-06:00

Here are Green No. 2 and Green No. 3, painted Tuesday.

Green No. 1

2008-11-05T05:34:00.003-06:00

I began a new series Monday evening, the Green series. Not entirely green - there is the addition of some white for effect - but it's principally thalo green on a ground of two other greens, one darker, with a lighter fluid acrylic green scumbled over it for a brushy ground plane. Green No. 1 has been uploaded to Red Bubble. Meanwhile, I painted the second and third versions last night and will be posting them later on.

White on Blue and the Autumn Piece Series

2008-11-01T16:58:00.004-06:00

More new work, here. First is White on Blue, and then there is Autumn Piece and Autumn Piece 2, both of which were painted on Halloween. As with the others here, they've been uploaded to my Red Bubble page for sale as prints.

From the Darkness 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8

2008-10-29T20:27:00.008-06:00

Just getting caught up with my postings tonight. I've been busy painting, as usual, and have completed six more pieces in my From the Darkness series. All are for sale as original paintings on paper at my web gallery, as well as prints.

From the Darkness

2008-10-25T22:57:00.003-05:00

Tonight I've started yet another new series: From the Darkness. Actually, it's a concept I've explored before, in a different size (14x17), but this series will be on 8.5"x11" paper, for print reproduction.

The White Series

2008-10-25T12:31:00.008-05:00

I've been busy with a new series over the past few days, hence the lack of action here. This is the White series, which, so far, numbers seven small (8.5"x11") paintings in acrylic on paper. All have been uploaded to Red Bubble and Zazzle for sale as small prints.

Blue No. 6,7 & 8

2008-10-20T23:04:00.004-05:00

Three more additions to my Blue series, which I completed Sunday evening: Blue No. 6, Blue No. 7 and Blue No. 8. This evening (Monday), I've started yet another series, titled simply White, which will be in the same style and technique, as well as size and medium, but will be white knifework on a black ground. Look for that to begin being posted here Tuesday. Meanwhile, Blue No. 6, 7 & 8 have all been uploaded to Red Bubble, Zazzle and Imagekind and are available as fine art prints there.

Blue No. 3, 4 & 5

2008-10-19T16:35:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a productive day for me, having completed three new paintings in my "Blue" series: Blue No. 3, Blue No. 4 and Blue No. 5. All of these have been scanned and the digital images will be uploaded to various print-on-demand sites, including Red Bubble and Zazzle.

Blue No. 2

2008-10-18T22:53:00.002-05:00

Continuing with the smaller paintings on paper for reproduction, here is Blue No. 2, completed yesterday and uploaded to my galleries on Red Bubble and Zazzle.

Blue No. 1 & Giclees

2008-10-18T02:12:00.001-05:00

I have begun doing smaller (8x10) paintings on canvas and paper that are intended for the print market, specifically, to be reproduced as small giclee prints that will be sold online. Blue No. 1 is the first of these small paintings.

Magenta & White No. 1

2008-10-18T02:00:00.007-05:00

Thursday evening I began yet another series, Magenta & White. This is Magenta & White No. 1.

Red & White No. 3

2008-10-16T20:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday evening's painting was Red & White No. 3. Next up are some experiments using white and thalo colors, specifically, thalo blue and thalo green. I was looking for thalo crimson, as well, when I stopped off for paint this evening, but none was available, so I settled for a tube of magenta, which should be equally as interesting when blended with white.

White & Yellow Ochre No. 1

2008-10-15T20:18:00.005-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I've begun another new series of acrylic paintings on paper, this one titled White & Yellow Ochre. Here is the first of the series, White & Yellow Ochre No. 1, which I completed last night. Kind of reminds me of caramel and vanilla ice cream.

Meanwhile, I've just painted Red & White No. 3, which I'll be posting tomorrow night.

Black & White No. 11

2008-10-14T18:07:00.005-05:00

Sunday night, I painted Black & White No. 11, but, unfortunately, the face of the paper got shredded as I was removing the masking tape that held it to my "easel" (which is actually the wall of my studio). So, last night, I did a new version of No. 11, which I've posted here. The first one is in my wastebasket. That's the first painting I've lost since I began my daily paintings. Actually, I prefer this version to what I did Sunday, so it's no great loss.

Meanwhile, I'm going to begin yet another series this evening, titled White & Yellow Ochre. My long range plan is to do several series based on the same size, medium and support, as well as the same gestural knifework, but in different palettes. The idea is to fully explore the possibilities while creating a cohesive body of work reflecting my style and technique. In this fashion, I could go on for quite some time without exhausting the possibilities.

Blue & White No. 2

2008-10-12T19:15:00.005-05:00

The day before I began this blog, I also began a new series of paintings in acrylic on paper, titled Blue & White. This is the second of the series, done last night. Another new series, Black & Orange, represents a departure from the technique I've been using in other series, in that, I'm working wet into wet instead of painting a ground and allowing it to dry before I proceed with what I call my "knifework."

My usual practice has been to use a brush for the ground, also, but in both Black & Orange and Blue & White, I've opted to use nothing but fluid acrylic, instead of fluid acrylic for the ground and tube colors for the knifework. So, I was working very wet into wet on these latest paintings, the first of which got pretty messy, but which was a lot of fun. It's a more spontaneous process, allowing for no drying time, thus it's quicker, more immediate and, thus, more in tune with the spirit of Abstract Expressionist painting.

As with most of my work, I'm doing iconic, sort of calligraphic strokes with one of two large putty knives I use. The whole idea is to create a spontaneous imagery, emanating from the subconscious and, hopefully, evoking an emotional response in the viewer. What that response is isn't as important to me as eliciting some response and each individual's response will depend upon their own unique personal experience.

Welcome!

2008-10-11T23:54:00.000-05:00

This is the first post to my blog, which will accompany my online art gallery. Here, I will chronicle my journey from rekindling my desire to paint again, after a long hiatus, to, hopefully, becoming a full-time professional artist, which is my ultimate goal and life's dream.

That dream is one I have pursued, off and on (mostly off), for most of my adult life, interrupted, here and there, by all the things life throws at you, from the loss of a job to the loss of a parent, and just the ups and downs of everyday life.

But, in returning to my dream goal, I have the benefit of hindsight and many years of accumulated knowledge and hard-earned wisdom I wish I'd had when I was a younger man. So, I am now better prepared to do whatever it takes to realize my goal than I have ever been before.

I don't really recall when the idea re-occurred to me to paint again. It was a few months ago, while perusing the websites of some artists, in particular, abstract painter Michel Keck. I had painted in a number of styles, both realistic and abstract, over the years and the last time I had picked up a brush was during the mid-nineties, when I was working toward a teaching certificate at the University of Central Oklahoma, where I had earlier earned my B.A. in Graphic Design. My plan, at the time, was to become a high school art teacher - until I found out the ugly truth was that art programs were being cut all over the country and that there would be no jobs for art teachers in the future. That, coupled with dealing with the death of my father in 1996, brought that idea to an end.

Anyway, as I was saying, I was looking at Michel Keck's work and, in particular, noting her success in selling her paintings online, as an independent artist. It was at that point I thought, "I could do that!," and so began the urge to paint again.

When I get interested in something, I usually research the heck out of it, and this time was no exception. In the course of finding out what was going on in the world of online art sales, I stumbled onto the "daily painting" phenomenon and the various artists' blogs that have arisen from it. I have toyed with the idea of starting my own art blog since I began painting again and, since I have been pursuing the "daily painting" regimen, myself, I figured now is the right time to do it, now that I have been at it a while and have accumulated a small and growing body of work.

So, with that thought in mind, this blog will contain photos of my latest paintings, updated either daily or when I can get to it (the blog, not the paintings). So far, I've succeeded in keeping up a daily painting practice, since the end of August, and now have a gallery of over 45 paintings on canvas and paper to show for it. So far, due to economic constraints, most of my work has been in acrylic on paper, rather than canvas. This is in response to the cost of art materials, of course, and not by design. If money were no object, I'd not only be painting nothing but canvases, but I'd be painting rather large ones, at that. Then again, I have developed an appreciation of small paintings on paper and I've discovered there is a fairly hot market for them, these days, probably due to the fact that most people, if they can afford original art at all, are more inclined toward the cheaper works on paper, as opposed to canvases. So, my larger inventory of works on paper may work to my advantage, at some point.

I mentioned, earlier, the accumulated knowledge and wisdom I've come to have at the age of 56, and part of that is to realize, with a more mature attitude than I had in the past, the importance of having a recognizable style and sticking to it. This is especially true for abstract painters - much more so than it is for realists. A photorealist's whole focus is to mimic photographs faithfully and, to that end, the only thing a photorealist has that approximates a "style" at all is his choice of subject matter. He can choose to do photorealistic renderings of, say, architectural close-up details, for example and, if no one else is doing that, he'd have something approximating a unique style. Other than that, the realist painter can get away with not really having much of a recognizable style because the subject matter dictates the look of his work.

Not so with the abstract painter and doubly so with Abstract Expressionists. We are in a unique position, stylistically, because there is no subject matter - just the handling of the paint and the surface and the types of images that arise from this. A color field painter has an especially difficult task in arriving at a unique style that sets himself apart from all the other color field painters because of the very nature of color field painting, itself. It is such a narrowly defined style of painting that there are few ways to distinguish one's self from others. Even more so for minimalists. One square canvas painted red looks like any other. That's why I laughed my head off when I came upon an online gallery devoted exclusively to the work of several minimalist painters - and everything there looked the same! Fortunately, while I love color field paintings, I am more strongly drawn to gestural painting in my own work.

But, even among gestural painters, it's hard to set one's self apart from the herd. Some don't even try to, opting to follow in the shadow of greats such as Jackson Pollack, doing drip paintings. Among the aforementioned color field painters, there are those who follow the Mark Rothko approach. I guess being called "derivative" doesn't matter to these painters. It does to me, though, and so I set about to find a way to set myself apart.

I began by exploring several different styles and techniques, but I found that, the more I did so, the harder it became to choose just one and stick with it. Then I recalled a small series of paintings I had done in 1988, which I had dubbed my Flowspace series (and which I continued, recently) and in which I had used a painting technique I hadn't used since. So, I began using it again and it was then that I realized my unique style would arise from the process I was using. Voila! I became a process painter! Nothing wrong with that, and it's really the best way to nail down a style and to stick to it, by simply developing a process and using it exclusively.

As for whether that process is unique enough to set me apart, I have found - in researching the paintings of hundreds of contemporary painters - only one other artist who is using the same technique and, fortunately, he doesn't use it consistently.

Anyway, since adopting my earlier process, my work has begun to have a unifying look to it that makes it a cohesive body of work; i.e., it all looks like the work of the same artist: me. While this may not seem greatly significant, bear in mind that most painters struggle with this issue of sticking to one style. They want to be everything at once - like the teenager who wants to be a graphic designer/writer/musician. They just can't make up their minds what they want to do, so they try to do it all and the result is that their portfolio looks like the work of ten different artists. Thus you see the value in finding a unique process and sticking to it rigidly.

While it may seem boring, to some, to do everything the same way every time, I have found there is an overwhelming wealth of options still left open to me, despite using the same process for every painting. I can vary the colors, I can change paints, and of course, there are almost limitless compositional and textural variations possible. So, this will never become boring, for me.

Now, those who are not aware of this issue of style may ask, why is it so important, anyway? Well, the answer lies in the art martket. Galleries and dealers, as well as art consultants, interior designers and art collectors, all want to know that an artist can continue to produce whatever attracted them to his work in the first place. Galleries have to be able to fill the demand for more of it and collectors want to have a unified collection of works that are unmistakably the work of a particular artist.

All the biggest names in the artworld got that way because they realized the importance of having a unique trademark style and of producing a large body of work in that style. Few would recognize an early Jackson Pollack, but everyone in the world immediately recognizes a Jackson Pollack drip painting as being a Jackson Pollack. If Pollack had decided, one morning, to change to color field painting, like his contemporary Mark Rothko, his career would have been over. Which is one reason why I wonder why anyone would want to paint just like Pollack or Rothko today and run the risk of never being taken seriously. Every amateur who gets into painting abstracts always does a drip painting and/or a Rothko color field impersonation. I admit I've done so, myself. We all do it. But, if you're serious about a career as a fine artist, mimicry is the kiss of death. What will make you stand out from the herd of would-be artists is to be different from everyone else, not the same.