"Array" is a quadtych with each panel at 18x18x1.5".  I hesitate to explain this piece because I think knowing the story and process will make it feel less elegant and more crafty, but what the heck.  I recently came across a box of old acrylic samples in our shop that we were throwing away.  They were so interesting and diverse, I felt like surely something could be done with them.  I remembered we also had four wood wall panels sitting around that were left over from a previous project.  I started arranging the squares, then rearranging them and rearranging them again.  I had to work on a flat table surface which meant it was difficult to assess the design.  I had a ladder and I climbed up, looked down, took a picture with my phone, climbed down, made adjustments, lather rinse repeat for several hours until I liked the design.

Then came the challenge of how to actually build it.  I have never done anything remotely like this.  I tested out a few different adhesives because most of the pieces range from translucent to completely clear.  That meant the adhesive would be visible.  I settled on silicone because it dries totally clear and stays supple long enough to work with it a bit.  Even then it had to be applied very intentionally because it is visible.  Patterns and spread were important.  As a painter this is not something I've ever considered but fortunately I am surrounded by building material experts.  The next challenge was that most of the pieces had a small hole in the corner where they were attached to a bead chain.  I decided to put screws in the holes to hide them and add another element to the structure.  I drilled the holes through to the back so they could be secured all the way through.  I love the added element of the dark silver screw caps to the overall aesthetic.  This project was labor intensive and took me completely out of my wheelhouse.  I loved it!  The possibilities are endless...

"I Dreamed of a Farmhouse" is pastel on sanded paper, 20x26".  I wanted to get my hands back into pastels so I'll be doing a couple more pretty soon.  This is once again starting with a toned background, a warm medium brown color.  There's still a fair amount of it showing through and setting the earthy palette for the piece.  The sky in my source photograph was white and washed out, not at all interesting.  Much of the coloration in this piece is invented and to me feels dreamlike, hence the title.  I always enjoy the softness and glints of color you can achieve with pastel.

"Wednesday Silhouette, 2017," is 30x30", acrylic on canvas.  This piece was actually painted a few months ago but I forgot to post it.  It started, once again, as a "brush rag," a loose and gestural sidepiece.  The under-painting had beautiful color which I wanted to emphasize.  I decided to do a still-life but wanted an unconventional approach.  I used negative-shapes (the spaces between) to create a silhouette of a vase of flowers against a window.  I left the right side undefined to emphasize the effect of a recognizable object coming to life with just a few carefully-applied flat shapes.

"Firefly, 2017" is 30x40", mixed media on canvas.  It started as one of my "brush rags," collecting whatever paint I had on my brush at the time from another painting.  Gradually it took on a personality.  Shapes were forming in the random brushwork.  Yesterday I decided to experiment with mark-making using oil pastel over the acrylic, carving out some of those shapes.  Then I went back in with paint, adding more layers.  I like the movement and depth, and the flicker of light throughout makes me think of fireflies dancing around at dusk.  I honestly think this piece would be dynamic at a monumental scale, at least 6x8'.  Perhaps this was a study for a future painting.  :)