The Hippie-Green Beetle

I have been dabbling with oil painting at a leisurely pace for over 15 years.  The freedom of painting for ‘feeling’ rather than ‘finance’ has allowed me to paint only when inspired to do so and recently this inspiration has gained momentum.  I attribute this creative resurgence to a switch in artistic focus.  A focus on ‘process’, rather than ‘product’, has become paramount and I believe this has led to more creative and meaningful paintings. 

My ideas for paintings are usually birthed from nature.  The forms of or in a landscape are often exaggerated while being sketched - trees become more naked, flowers elongate, and sky and clouds become edgier and moody.  While some pieces maintain their resemblance to nature, others evolve to become completely abstract interpretations of their former reality.  To be put frankly-- trees, sky, cloud and earth combine as if put in a blender.   From the hike through the woods… to the sketch pad….to the paint palette…to the lengthy face to face encounters with the canvas– it is this process that has become an extremely fulfilling ritual for me.

  I sit for a period of time with what I believe is the final product, to ensure that I am comfortable with it.  This usually leads to minor tampering with brushstroke placement until I can finally sit at ease.

I hang the painting immediately in my own home and when I am certain that I am comfortable with it (and after I have promised my wife that I will replace it with a new painting), it is ready to move on to someone else’s home – this is the goal after all!