Jolly Rancher Candy

4"x6" oil on masonite panel I do not know the flavor of this Jolly Rancher, it was not in my possession long enough to commit it to memory. You see, I was forced to steal this piece of candy from my own offspring. Yes, forced. In an attempt to help organize my disaster zone of a studio, The Spousal Unit took it upon Herself to collect all of my "painting" candy into one container. I admit, the subjects-in-waiting were somewhat strewn all over the place. She chose a plain brown paper bag as the vessel and She even wrote "Art Candy" on it. Not only did I not know that The Goddess did this wonderful thing, I also didn't know that—for some unknown reason—She took the bag into the house. The time came for me, as it eventually does, to paint a piece of candy. Not finding any in my studio, I may have panicked a bit. Now on the hunt for candy, I went into the house and immediately noticed that Spawn Number One had just emptied his pockets onto the counter and there it was... the Jolly Rancher. A little diversion (probably something like, "Look, a chicken!") combined with some quick five-finger action and voila... here's a painting of it. It was soon stolen back and I don't blame the little demon. Their translucency makes them a challenge to paint, but Jolly Ranchers sure taste good.


Posted September 24, 2015

sold • private collection, los angeles, ca



Zenith K725 Mid Century Radio




4"x6" oil on masonite panel This is the last of the mid century Zenith tube radio paintings I have for you. That does not mean that I will not paint more. It just means it will be the last for at least a good chunk of time (if ever), and that you have won a well-earned reprieve from my torturing you with them. It looks like I have painted five Zeniths—that might be enough for this artist. (Evidence: See the little Zeniths above.)

Posted September 17, 2015

sold • private collection hays, ks

AG Hot Rod

4"x6" oil on masonite panel Some things are more challenging (read: hard) to paint than other things. Many cars fall into this somewhat annoying category. There is just so much going on with the beasts and their unique forms, reflections, lines, ovals, etc.—you name it and it's there to drive an artist nuts. Okay, now imagine what I just described and then hacking it, chopping it, and, in some instances, completely removing whole sections of the car exposing the intricate mechanics of the machine. The result is a hot rod, the insane manifestation of someone's love for a vehicle and a penchant for hiding in the garage from their family. Even when I was a wee sprout, I preferred returning cars to their stock, intended forms and like new(ish) condition. This makes me a "stock" kind of guy. But over the years I have developed an appreciation for hot rods. You cannot meet a hot rod person and not become infected by their love for their car and the process that led to their personalized piece of art. For that is what they are: Art. The above painting was a heckuva challenge and that is probably why I did it. That and insanity.

Posted September 11, 2015

My Sogard Hand Drill

32"x16" oil on canvas I love this drill! It's in great shape, has great balance, great colors, and you can store your bits in the handle! I mean... how cool is that? You see that thingy on the top of the handle? It unscrews revealing a secret compartment. Actually, it's not so secret, it was not uncommon for these drills to have a storage compartment in the handle, but I still thinks it's cool. Yes, I have an unhealthy love of (good) tools. It's a disease I like having AND it requires no penicillin. This piece creeps up on being almost 3 feet tall and is in a 2-to-1 ratio, which is somewhat unusual for me. I might do more in this format, but honestly, it has less to do with what I want, than it does with what the piece calls for. As the Great Mongo once said, "Mongo only pawn... in game of life." Me too, buddy, me too.

Posted September 8, 2015


Kodak Instamatic X-15 Camera

4"x6" oil on masonite panel I have often been asked how I do what I do, mainly by students. It's a vague question, but sometimes the queries are specific to my color and/or brush/knife work. Flummoxed, I may reply, "How does one teach insanity." (I know, I know, it's a cop out. But seriously, how do you teach it?) Not knowing what to say, I sometimes proffer this nugget: Stop asking your mother what she thinks of your art. While the artist usually thinks that their mother's response of "nice" is a trite critique of their creative genius and feels hurt that she doesn't take their art seriously, I view it as sheer and utter rudeness to the mother. Do not put the women, who unconditionally loves you—if you are lucky—on the spot like that. What the heck do you expect her to say? While you're looking for words like "deep understanding," "complex color work," or "contextual juxtaposition" she'll deflect with "nice." What do you expect? You've cornered a person who has no idea what you are trying to achieve and truly, truly does not want to hurt our feelings. Unless she teaches the subject or worked on the piece with you, don't ask. Instead, show some love and respect. Ask her about her day. Patiently listen to her complain about her uncooperative computer and for goodness' sake, please try to find a tactful and loving way to suggest she back off on the Diet Coke. This applies to all the creative fields by the way. If you are an art director and you ask your mother what she thinks of your ads, you should be flogged, too. Anyway... to sum up... Don't be rude to your mother!

Posted September 3, 2015

sold • private collection, los angeles, ca


.38 Snubnose

4"x6" oil on masonite panel Many moons ago, in one of my previous lives in New York City, I stopped to talk to a sidewalk t-shirt vendor. I wasn't looking for a t-shirt, I just had a habit back then of stopping and talking to the sidewalk vendors. (Hey, in a city where you could encounter a guy on the sidewalk selling fine Italian silk ties for $2, the vendors usually had something interesting to say.) Anyway, the t-shirt guy had a shirt with a black and white image of a .38 pistol, like the one you see here, along with the elegantly typeset words: "New York City / STANDARD EQUIPMENT." Another shirt in the antagonistically proud series had an image of an 11 inch cockroach with: "New York City / ACTUAL SIZE." Now, that is civic pride! As indicated above, I do commissions. If you are interested, just contact me and we'll talk.

Posted September 1, 2015

sold•commission•private collection

 
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