"Algorithm" is a very large piece, 6' x 9.5', acrylic on canvas.  It was created for the entrance lobby of an R&D building.  It's the only work of art in a monumental space so it needs to have presence, both in color and composition.  This style starts off with a simple line drawing and becomes increasingly intricate as colors take hold and layers are continuously carved out of the shapes.  I used a technique learned from artist Sterling Edwards where you create lines that are "off-register" or slightly askew from the base design.  This produces a great deal of movement and energy.   

"Quiet Tide" is acrylic on canvas, 36x48".  I really enjoyed creating this piece.  I love to paint water.  The goal here was tranquility with a specific muted blue-green color scheme.  The source photograph was taken at dusk in Beaufort, NC. 

This one is called "Morning Design Break."  It's 30x30", acrylic on canvas.  I recently visited a marvelous still life exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  It inspired me.  I don't do a lot of still life work in my particular corporate niche but I did quite a lot in college.  It was such a pleasure revisiting the basics, closely inspecting the colors reflecting off the various surfaces or bouncing around within the shadows.  During the tour of the exhibit, someone said the masters used to do still lifes in between commissions to keep their skills sharp.  I can certainly believe that.  Simplifying the subject matter really magnifies basic design principles.  The elements I chose are all related to my job, interior finish samples, a glass vase, and last but not least, a coffee cup! 

"Waiting for the Lunch Rush" is a pastel painting on sanded paper, 26x20".  This is the first pastel I've done in over five years.  I forgot how much I like it!  I recently participated in a company event as a demonstrating artist, and it was very easy to take my pastels on location.  I took the source photo for this painting in 2002 in Massa Marittima, Italy.  I walked by this cafe and it was just shy of lunch time (they weren't open).  I found the scene very appealing for its simplicity and the depth of the overhangings.  I tried to keep the application loose here; I tend to get too tight with pastels.  Enjoy! 

This abstract is called "Nucleus."  It's 40x30", acrylic paint on stretched linen.  My abstract work is generally a stream of consciousness process, to be named afterward based on the result.  Throughout the creation of this particular piece, each time I wandered to the edges, it pulled me back to the center, hence the name.  The basic composition came from a photograph I took at a little girl's birthday party... kids all crowded in a kitchen wearing chef hats.  You can find inspiration anywhere!     

"Mechanism" is a 30x40" liquid acrylic painting on linen.  It took about 10 hours of painting time, although that was spread across several sessions.  The goal was something that combines the lines and movement of technology with softer earth tones. 

This is the fourth and final piece I've created for an upcoming fundraiser auction.  All four pieces are meant to reflect the beauty of the SAS campus and culture.  This is from a photo I took on Tuesday at 2 in the afternoon, taking advantage of very strong downlight.  The location is a bridge leading from bldg. S to bldg. T; it is traversed heavily on a daily basis by employees walking to the cafeteria in T to get their lunch.  We wanted to find little familiar places on campus that might speak to people. 

This painting is small, 18x24", acrylic on canvas.  Acrylics allow me to paint really fast; this one took 6 hours.  

I was recently commissioned to decorate a wedding invitation.  This is the second time I've done this and I think it's such a wonderful gift idea.  My client provided ideas for imagery, all meaningful items like the location of the engagement, the location of the wedding, the wedding flowers.  Then I created the design to frame the invitation.  She wanted a soft look so this is an ink drawing softened with an acrylic wash, then colored with colored pencils.  I fuzzed out some of the text to protect privacy, but you get the idea.  :)  

I was advised by a couple of friends to set up a blog to track my body of artwork, give some background on the process and inspiration, allow for feedback, etc...

I'll include an image of a recent painting here as an experiment.  "Shallow Reflections" is 36x36", liquid acrylic on canvas.  It was created for a nature-themed exhibition currently hanging in the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, NC.  This piece was by far the most labor intensive one in the show so I'm very happy to report it has sold! 

The inspiration photo was taken in Sedona, AZ, but really, this image could be applied anywhere.  It was painted in layers, as I often do with transparent water scenes.  The entire stream bed was created before laying any water in on top of it. 

I will continue posting to this blog and will send the link to everyone on my "new art" listserv.  This will take the place of the mass emails.

Thanks!