A few years ago I had the opportunity to watch a young Hawaiian Monk seal, Manu I'wa, with her mother. This is an endangered species, we were watching at quite a distance behind rope lines to keep people away, yet we were able to witness these two interacting in fascinating ways. " Llio-holo-i-ka-uaua" in Hawaiian, which translates into English as "dog who runs in rough water," it was ...
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Just outside Bandon, Oregon, a little promontory of land juts out into the Pacific, creating two unique views of the coast, north and south. Unusually shaped rocks and islands, amazing tidal pools, and a wealth of bird life make this a stunning place to explore. We were just coming back from the beach one evening, pausing to take one last look at the ocean for the day, when about twenty ...
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The studio has been one hopping place so far this year. I've had a good show at Port Townsend Gallery this month, "Industrial Arts" which comes down February 29th. Please stop by if you haven't had a chance to see the work, 715 Water Street, Port Townsend Washington. In other studio news, "The Last Horizon" won the purchase award at the CVG Show in Bremerton Washington. This is one of the ...
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The Marine Science Center in Port Townsend has one of the very few intact orca skeletons in North America, owing to the fact that orca bones sink. This adult female had many health issues, and died on the Dungeness Spit 7 years ago. The remains have been in the process of cleaning since then. Scientists and volunteers are about to articulate the skeleton. They invited a few artists in to draw ...
Read MoreSo here is a drawing process for you. I have been experimenting in the studio with drawing effects and have come up with a mixed-media approach that is making me very happy. The final surface is rich with process and almost patina-like effects. I have been very inspired by the work of Larry Thomas in California; he has a series of monumental drawings that are amazing. Johanna and Shirley at ...
Read MoreNew work, done as part of my graduate studies. I have been thinking about trees a lot, easy to do when you live up here. When I was finding myself again last summer, I went to visit my friends in Novato, CA. I spent hours walking the dry California hills above their house, delighting in the isolation, the views, nature above giant tracts of humanity. ...
Read MoreWell I tried, but the the birds have their own agenda. After painting them and drawing them in their little canoes repeatedly they decided they wanted to evolve in the grand scheme of nautical history. They pirated these ships. I am not proud of this, but they are particularly driven in their need to find and claim new migratory routes. Plus these boats are more stylish. The first image is the first pirated ...
Read MoreOne of the series that came about through my graduate work at Goddard College. This entire series is tiled "Manifest Destiny." It is a combination of the academic research I am engaged in, which involves the Romantic artists of the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. What fascinates me about these artists is that they were scientifically oriented, they traveled great distances to create their images, and they were obviously ...
Read MoreI was travelling this past week so do not have a studio image to share; that being said here are some sketchbook pics for you from my travels. Here's the problem with hanging out with graphic designers: you begin to think that the way you lay out a sketchbook page makes a difference. Here's the really annoying thing: they are right. I am liking the text as an element on ...
Read MoreAnd finally we have some new work posted. This is "Hiawatha;" the subject matter is a big old grain warehouse on Hiawatha Ave in Minneapolis MN. Some of these images look like they were uploaded incorrectly but I actually laid this one out upside-down. I'd like to say it was for some great artistic purpose, like working on the right side of the mind by utilizing non-traditional compositional techniques, but ...
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