A Peek Inside My Painting Process

I absolutley cannot believe that this is my first post in two years! 2017 and 2018 have been a whirl wind of a couple of years. First off, I got married to the love of my life last November then, as of June this year I became apart of a wonderful studio space to fulfill/sell all my art creations (ACME Art Studios of Wilmington, NC) and currently my wife and I are looking into buying a new place to call home. I will spare you from all the minor details and drama that clouds the everyday life, but I would love to share some of the progress shots of my latest paintings/drawings.

Most of my paintings and drawings have many changing faces. As of late, I find myself starting out with a block of colors. Then the next few layers I go back and forth with shapes and lines, obsessing over the details to the point where I have to stop myself and call it a day. And finally, I wrap everything up with the high and low lights that call out the miniscule details and bring the work back full circle. 

This list of work is a bit of a modpodge of mediums. It depends on my method of execution but I mainly work with watercolors, pastels, color pencils and oil paint.

 This painting is "Airlie Scape" 36in x 24in oil on canvas. It took me a long time to complete this one, I had to put it away for a good year or so and when I came back to it I decided to try a few new techniques. The end resulted in something completely different from anything I have done in the past.


       

  

This one is "Carolina Beach: Mild Break" 16in x 20in watercolor, gouache and ink on watercolor paper. I donated this painting for a charity auction called "Thriller on the Griller" which gives all the profits to the Hope for the Warriors organization. (click the link for more information on this wonderful organization)
    

    

"Cooper" 16in x 20in watercolor, ink and color pencils on watercolor paper. This was a commissioned piece for a Christmas gift last year. I had loads of fun bringing out the character of this lovely pooch. 

"Spiral" 4in x 4in gouache and ink on panel. This one was different working on the panel. I decided not to prime the panel so the wood soaking up the gouache gave it a little more abstract depth.

    
    


"Old Oak" 30in x 20in oil on canvas. I used a lot of texture to create this piece. Some sections I piled on the paint with a palette knife/brush and other areas only a couple thin layers of paint. I would alternate piling on the paint in one layer and painting very thin lines to create depth in another. (side note) A lot of people ask how I achieve such thin black lines, it is very easy to do: mix black ( I prefer an equal mix of burnt umber and ultramarine blue) then I thin it down with a bit of gamsol and using a small brush I create lots of little lines. Simple as that.

These are just a few of the pieces I have to share for now, I wouldn't want to share all the goods at once.  Next week I'll be sharing a closer look at two mini series, succulents and cotton. In the mean time, if you are interested in getting daily information and updates you can follow me on Instagram or Facebook 

Exploring Line: Vol 2

Line exploration is one of the main elements in many of these compositions. The main goal when working on these pieces is trying to find new ways to manipulate line, while creating intricate shapes and movement. In these pieces I am exploring line in a way that breaks down shapes and color to provide an abstract landscape or portrait. Even though some compositions do not work out, I always walk away with plenty of ideas for the next. 

These works below are my most recent pieces. Not only are they experimental, they are emotionally driven. Each work dives deep into some memory or experience in my life and continuing to find new ways to express this has become my life's obsession. 

"Airlie Scape"

"Dunes No. 4"

"Lady of the Morehead Inn"

"Memory Study: Pine Knot"

"Teddy"

"Gypsi"

"Memory Study: Pine Bark"

Bird Shoal: Island of Inspiration

A little bit ago I visited Bird Shoal Island with some family and was immediately inspired by its beauty. I feel everyday the natural beauty surrounding us is being chiseled away by the destructive nature of humans and when I visit places such as this island I feel a connection like no other. Connections like these are what I live for, and are what I am inspired by more than anything in the world. I use these connections as an inspirational conduit to create pieces such as these few here.

 "Dunes No. 3"

 "Ocean No. 3"

 "Dune Grass"

 "Driftwood No. 3"

 "Driftwood No. 2"

 "Oysters"

 "Ocean No. 2"

"Sand"

Exploring Line

Around this time last year I was taking a watercolor course, which I struggled with quite a bit in the beginning, but came to love in the end. With the freedom to do whatever our hearts desired, the professor let us explore watercolor in a way that was flexible and personal to each individual artist. So, with the 16 weeks of free exploration I found that line was my element of choice. I was drawn to the various ways and techniques that could manipulate watercolor, as well as how different they were to anything I have done before.

Here are some examples of my line obsession.

This beginning shot shows most of the line work and detail that went into the bark.

This map style composition was an experiment where I would let the color and ink bleed into each other, then I would create forms with line variation. 

 I fed off the maplike composition and created these portraits with more control of the ink and color flow.

Taking this course definitely changed my views on watercolor and opened my mind up to the endless possibilities you have when line is involved. 

Tragic Future

Collage is another style of art that lets me bring lots of layering to my works. This abstract design is a close up of tree bark. I use layers of drawings, magazines and paper to subtly add details of the unnecessary destruction of our forests, hence the name “Tragic Future.”

The materials I use include, magazine clippings, pastel, charcoal, tracing paper, lots of modge podge and fixative. For the support I used a 20” x 16” canvas. 

Piecing a collage together is much like doing a puzzle.... a more intimate, emotional puzzle that is.

 "Tragic Future"

"Detail Shots"

Bald Head: an island of inspiration

During my last semester my painting class took an informal field trip to Bald Head Island to visit the No Boundaries art colony. I had a chance to spend the day meeting wonderful artists and walking down the island shore where I did some "en plein air" painting and sketching. I was particularly drawn to this huge piece of drift wood that had the entire base of the tree trunk intact. Also, there was a point in the water where the currents met which caused a great vertical wall of clashing waves that gave me an overwhelming/indescribable feeling.
When I came home, I knew immediately that I wanted to further investigate my sketches and photos of that day to come up with a small intimate series which could describe the emotions I felt better than words.
In this series, I use watercolor pencils, ink and graphite on 9" x 12" watercolor paper.

 "Dunes"

 "Ocean"

"Driftwood"

Revisiting this series brings all sorts of ideas for new works in the future. Is there any experiences that continue to inspire you time after time? If so, please share your ideas below. I'd love to read your thoughts.

Breakthrough Under Pressure

As a recently graduated studio art major, I am more motivated than ever to explore my artistic voice. My last semester was very stressful and I am grateful for all the support my family, classmates and professors gave me. I definitely could not have done this without them.

Through trial and error I finally broke through all the fog that clouded my mind and was able to find my true focus, nature. In the beginning I had the idea to portray landscapes in a way that showed the beauty in natural objects with underlying hints of the destruction that people cause to them. When these became less than successful, I struggled to find what to do next.

While looking through my photo albums of shots of trees and other plant life it dawned on me, I need to focus on portraying the parts of nature that are appealing to me, but also as something worth preserving. My main goal is to formulate works of art that raise questions and shine light on situations that would normally be an afterthought to an everyday passerby.  I want people to look at my work, recognize the object, and then begin to unravel it in their mind. 

With all that being said, I have made a complete transformation of style and hope to continually evolve as an artist. Here are five completed pieces. I am currently working on the sixth am itching to start the seventh.