Wrong Jar, Acrylic on Panel, 12x18

Here’s a painting I submitted to the Modbo for their Fire Fire Flood show. I won’t know if it made it until the opening this Friday.

The theme of the show refers to the two wildfires and torrential rains we had here in Colorado Springs within the past 16 months. This is another painting that really pushed my skill boundaries. I’m trying to develop a personal vocabulary within my paintings focusing on still lifes, pattern, and color (and others that I’m still trying to figure out) and then applying it to the theme. At first I tried to create a reference photo by putting some kind of accelerant in the two jars and simultaneously pouring water into the third. I needed a big flame but was nervous about making it TOO big. I ended up using cotton balls dipped in Vaseline - it didn’t give me the flame I wanted, but it helped me visualize the reflections on the background and the wooden platform. I kind of made up the rest from there.

Feel it in Your Bones, Acrylic on Panel, 10x8

I submitted this to Cottonwood's Dia de los Muertos Show. I won't know if i made the cut until the show opening tomorrow. There was already some great stuff there when I dropped it off, but the person I talked to sounded like they wanted to get in as much as they could. So, fingers crossed.

This painting took me a while to complete. Everything I have created until now has been based on a photograph and this I had to completely make up. Thank goodness for Flickr and Google image search. I was able to reference several photos of candles and other Dia de los Muertos designs to pull it together. Along with fine art, I've been interested in illustration for quite a while and it is something I hope and plan to do in the future, so this is the first step for me.

It was a fun challenge and process I will continue to work on. 

Thanks to Chelle and the kids for the title.