Approaching Storm

I am forever fascinated with stormy skies. Everything seems to resonate with unequivocal splendor at the very beginning of a storm, before darkness overtakes all.
Acrylic on canvas board. 20 x 16

Unbraided

The beauty of kinky hair. You can press it, braid it, perm it, dye it. In its natural state it will spring back to life.
Graphite on paper. 11 x 14

Field of Colors

Nothing is more fortifying than the beauty of God's creation.
Acrylic on canvas. 16 x 20

Camouflage

Graphite and pastel on paper.

Heading Home

Although there is conflict in some African countries, there is still a great deal of beauty there. My African inspired visions of color are based on my interpretations of that beauty.
Acrylic paint on paper. 5 x 9

Ponderance

Though life can be harsh at times, we are blessed with an array of beautiful moments to ponder over.
Small acrylic painting on clay board. 5 x 7

Featured Artist on Urban Flux

Thank you to Urban Flux for featuring me as an artist of the week. Very much appreciated.

Innocence

I just love painting faces. No matter how deep you look into the eyes of this child, all you see is pure innocence. The eyes say it all. Especially childrens eyes.
Acrylic paint and pastel on paper.

Against the Wall

As you can see from this painting and others I'm not one to paint smiling faces a lot. I tend to paint more serious expressions, even on children. I believe I get more depth in the face with a serious expression. It all comes down to the eyes. Once I get that feeling and emotion in the eyes, that's when I know that the painting is finished. Every face that I paint or draw begins and ends with the eyes.
This is a mixed media piece. Acrylic and pastel on canvas. 18 x 18

Yes We Can!

This painting was started before the election was over. I almost forget about it until the other day. I completed it and decided to post it. I am very critical of my work and I never think its good enough for others to view. This painting was one I felt I needed to do. The composition and colors were not as important as the fact that I just needed to paint it.

This piece is acrylic paint on 16 x 20 canvas.

Pear still life

This is a small still life painting I decided to do. This painting is very small and only took about an hour to do. I like the outcome very much. I may do some more still life paintings in the future.

Acrylic on clay board. 5 x 7

The View Within'

This painting was a challenge. It was my first attempt at painting someone viewing art....three fold. I use acrylic paint throughout the whole process. I had a great deal of fun doing it.
Acrylic on canvas. 16 x 20

Acrylic Painting....'Waiting Out the Storm'

I love stormy skies.

Saturday Morning

This painting was inspired by my time spent in New Mexico. I would get up early on Saturday morning during Balloon Fiesta to watch the hot air balloons go by my window. I had a great view from my terrace. I was also inspired by the skies of New Mexico. That state has some of the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. I never tired of watching the sunrises and sunsets. The Sandia mountains in Albuquerque were a site to behold right before the sun set. This acrylic painting is 16 x 20.

Night Shadows

This is another beach scene done at night. I tried to depict a shadow thrown onto the beach by an artificial light source. The sand area in the painting is very textured. It is hard to see in this photo. I love the night time. Maybe thats because I'm a loner of sorts. I wanted to show that side of me in this painting. This is an acrylic painting on a 24 x 30 gallery wrap canvas.

Reverence

The process in painting this small acrylic was fast. I came up with the title first and the painting came about easily. Red is an important color to many tribes in Africa. The Samburu and Maasai tribes use a great deal of red in their clothing and bead work. The Himba tribe use red clay from the earth to cover their bodies and hair. I Iove beach scenes.and wanted to use one as the background for this painting. This is a small painting and was done in a few hours. Acrylics were the perfect medium for this painting.
Acrylic on paper. 9 x 6

Beached

I had a great deal of fun painting this piece. I love night skies and I wanted the beach scene to be peaceful while the sky was dramatic. I am fascinated with boats and I love to see them in paintings. One of my favorite artist is 'Winslow Homer'. I think some of his best works are the watercolors of boats on water. The fast drying of the acrylic paint was very beneficial.

Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas...30 x 24

Intense

The name of this painting is titled 'Intense'. The title is based on the expression on the boys face. Everything on the paper was done with acrylic paint except for the boys face. That was done with pastel pencil. Pastel pencils helped me get the detail I wanted. I decided to use the artist 'Mondrian' as a reference for the colorful background. It adds a contemporary touch to a realistic portrait.

Imagined Place

This is a large painting. 20 x 60. It is titled 'Imagined Place'. I did not use any references for this acrylic painting although, the mountains out here on the west coast did come to mind at times. I love the southwestern part of the United States and, can't help but be inspired when I paint. The mountains, the deserts, the light, the sunsets, the flora, the sky. There are endless reasons to love this place. I tried to imagine mountains that were sensuous and curvy. This is what I came up with. Someone said my mountains looked like folds of fabric. I like that description.

Acrylic on canvas. 20 x 60

Born to Be

The idea behind this drawing is to show the face of someone who truly believes he was born to be someone very important. Someone who's presence sends out emanations of a mystical quality.

Graphite on paper.

'Deep Roots'

Graphite and colored pencil on paper.

Snooze Alarm

This is a drawing of my daughter when she was a baby. This drawing was done from two photos taken minutes apart. She was a healthy and fat baby. Her cheeks were really that fat.

Graphite and colored pencil on tinted paper.

Red Desert Prince

This drawing is loosely based on the Maasai tribe. Maasai men are first and foremost warriors. I wanted to show strength and pride in his face. Red is a very prominent color in some African tribes. I used red tones in his hair and face as a reference to the Maasai tribe.
Colored pencil on tinted pastel paper.

Pencil Drawing...Baby Elf in the Motherland

Pencil drawing on paper. The name of this drawing is based on the baby's pointed ears. I drew the mother and baby with such a serious look that I could'nt help but have a little fun with it. I love to draw with pencil.