A smallish, puzzling wedding painting and the happy couple!

The date is quite prominent to help Chris remember it.

Katie & Chris:

A new work done with many small (5.5" by 5.5") pieces:

Samantha with her painting

Sam was a former student (not that many years ago!) and now she is the happy owner of a custom piece which has many elements from the forrest (where her husband works). Sam is shown in the restaurant West's that she helps manage.



A video of my cellar work space:

Largish painting for Samantha

Some specific colors and motifs were requested for this piece - a fun project.

Some new paintings to welcome some newly born babies into our world!

A little different commission

Some friends asked for a memorial piece for their friend who had just lost his father.  I was given the U2 quote and some image ideas to work with.  And a request to do the piece in black. 

Working on a deck behind Nate & Lindsay's Home

 The rains this May really slowed our progress. It looks like we had to build the deck over a small pond - correct. There were so many rocks in the clay that we had to dig all the holes for the supporting posts by hand. After we dug enough holes to create a beam, we did the fun part of placing the joists and adding the decking. Four sections are done - two to go!

A few new pieces

Artist-in-residence

I had a try at being an artist-in-residence at a local elementary school. The music teacher Helen Feaster, at Liberty Elementary, approached me with the proposal in March. I thought that it was a great idea! Hmmmm - trying to teach my "textured painting" techniques involves a lot of hauling of materials. The students in two 4th grade sections learned how and made their own textured boards over a three day period. We timed things so that the joint compound would have a weekend to dry. But first, I spent a day showing slides and explaining what it was like to spend my life involved in the visual arts. I taught elementary art for 31 years and I've made my textured paintings since 1971. I now work with art student teachers. I told the kids that I'm a lucky man. Here's the first group that listened to my lecture (Mrs. Krotzer's 5th grade). Following are a number of photographs from both Mrs. Ostrom's and Mrs. Alexander's 4th grade classrooms which show the various steps the students went through to get their finished boards.

Ah, let's get to work: