Purple Pups

Haven't had a lot of spare time to paint lately. That makes me all knotted up inside. However, one of my coworkers has a pooch that is just her pride and joy and asked for this portrait. I think it turned out sweet. Of course they never look quite right in photos, so you can't see that the background is a very Prince-like royal purple. Yum.
That's about all I've got going on these days. I started a new one that was inspired by my poem Religion on Steroids, which if I ever finish will probably be just about the most provocative and controversial piece I've ever done. Including all those nekked merladies frollicking together...
But for now, I'm just not happy with how it's going. I'll keep you posted.

A new painting in progress...

I started this one on Saturday night. I have a base down, now I think I can start detailing it the way I want. I have today off, so I'll spend some time with it again.
I wish I could spend every day with paint and canvas. Practice makes perfect, not that I'd ever be perfect at it, but at least better...
My "If I win the lottery" wish is to travel and paint. I want to go to all the beautiful places I've never been or have been but didn't have the time/opportunity/supplies to paint while there.

Per Ben's Request

early works, posted because Ben, from Both Sides of Ben, asked to see them since I mentioned them over at his place...


These two are very understated, simplistic.
I've always loved Picasso's Femme
and because of it, I just wanted to do my version, in a sort of tribute to the great master. Not that I could ever try to compare...He wins, hands down of course. I just wanted my twist on it.

Then, still inspired by the simplicity of those lines, I did this:


all of these were my solution to some moldy, old and ugly prints from the thrift store. Back before Wifester was in my life, I had some pretty lean times. My choices would literally be either buy groceries or pay rent. But rarely could I do both. During those times, I often spent .50 -1.00 at the thrift stores on things like these that I could paint over to create art for myself, that's when I wasn't going through a dry spell of not painting at all. Paint costs money and back then, it was quite rare that I could even afford it.
When I got these, they had oriental prints that had seen much better days. I had to bleach them to kill the mold, scrub them to get the years of grime, and scrape them to slough off all of that funky combination just to get a base that I could work on.

Progress in process

He's not done yet, but this is what I've been working on today

Hope of A Nation acrylic, mixed media on 18x24 canvas

Cleveland at Night

Cleveland by Night Acrylic on 16x20 Canvas

Cleveland Bridge at Night
acrylic/tissue on 5x7 canvas

New Year, New Creativity

New Year's Eve brought out a two for one, I guess it was the wine and champagne...

Cleveland in Winter Mixed Media on 16x20 Canvas
acrylic, tissue, epoxy, soy wax

It still needs to be glazed and I think I'm gonna splatter some soy wax on it to help with the snow effect.

While doing that one, I kept thinking about another one I've had my mind and heart set on doing, so as soon as I could get it to a drying point, I set it aside and started on this one:



she's still a work in progress, but Bettie Page has been on my mind ever since I read she had fallen ill and was hospitalized, and subsequently, her passing.
I've wanted to create my tribute to such an iconic figure in America's sexual revolution

So I combined some of my favorite images of her into a collage paying homage to The Pinup Girl Queen