BOOM!, Acrylic on Panel, 24x36

This is the other painting I submitted to Cottonwood’s Pop Culture Show. 

The last two times I've submitted paintings to Cottonwoods’ shows, I wasn’t juried in. While I was I disappointed, it pushed me to put together two of the biggest, most ambitious, and most satisfying paintings I’ve made yet. I’m hoping the third time is a charm.

POW!, Acrylic on Panel, 24x36

I just submitted this painting to Cottonwoods’ Pop Culture Show.
For the past year or so I’ve been teaching myself 3D modeling because I know there would be a point when I wanted to design my own signs. It gives me a lot more flexibility with color, composition, typography, and what the sign says. And it sure beats driving around town looking for something to paint. However, there are still some real life signs I’d like to take on because of their history and how it feeds into my own designs.

All Together Now, 14x11, Acrylic on Panel

With both kids out of school and only one good eye, I was able to get a painting done by the deadline for Cottonwood’s Still Life show. I dropped it yesterday and won’t know if it gets into the show until the middle of next week. The competition is usually pretty tough, but I couldn’t not try.

BOWL, Acrylic on Panel, 20x30

A few months ago, my friends Chris and Jenny asked if I was interested in doing another painting of the Bear Creek Lanes sign for their new home. I was very interested but felt I should ask Jason (the now owner of the original painting I did earlier). I'm  not sure on the protocol of this kind of thing, but I wanted to make sure he was cool with it before I committed. Luckily he enthusiastically gave his blessing, so it was up to me to figure out how to do it differently enough to keep challenging myself but not too differently that my friends would still be pleased. The original was cropped and was only 5x10 inches and the Schells wanted a painting that would be many times that size. It would be my largest painting yet!

The challenge of this particular sign is that it’s an elongated L shape and could possibly leave a lot of empty space in one of the corners if I painted it straight on - I needed a different angle. 

I decided to make a simple 3D model of the sign that I could manipulate to give me a rough idea of what the best angle would be to shoot a reference photo. 

I didn’t want to spend a lot of time shooting on location, because I know people can get weird about someone taking photos of their stuff. I (quickly) took a day shot and an early evening shot with the neon on, and we decided that the daytime photo looked the best. 

So with that, I got to work.

Pack, Acrylic on Panel, 14x11

This is the final painting that I’ll be submitting to Cottonwood’s Abstract Show. Drop off is today and the show opens March 28. Even though I made three paintings, I’m only going to submit two. The second painting “Stacked” just wasn’t up to the caliber of this one and my first abstract “Winding.” I absolutely loved doing these paintings and there’s so much more potential in doing more. I could play with color, shapes, composition, “camera” angle. So expect more of these along with still life and sign paintings.

Stacked, Acrylic on Panel, 11x14

Another painting for Cottonwood Center for the Arts' Abstract Show.

Winding, Acrylic on Panel, 16x20

The great thing about galleries having an open call for entries is that it gives me an opportunity to work on different styles and themes. This is my entry for Cottonwood’s Abstract Show. I’ve had the idea to do something like this for quite a while, but the deadline gave me the push I needed to try it out. I’m hoping it fits their criteria for abstract art. I like to think of it as a painting of an abstract sculpture. Whether I’m juried in or not, I had a blast putting this together and I’m hoping to have one or two smaller ones by the submission deadline. Wish me luck!

Four Bowls, Acrylic on Panel, 6x6

I just submitted this painting to Cottonwood Center for the Arts' Small Works Show. I was hoping to have at least one more, but the holidays got the best of my time. Oh well, I had a good time and I'm very pleased with the way this one turned out. The opening is next Friday.

Camera Shop, Acrylic on Panel, 18x9

Before my girls went to school full-time, I would drive around Colorado Springs looking for subjects that I may want to paint in the future when I had more time. I took this photo on an early Sunday morning over three years ago. I’m glad I did because this sign is no longer there and I would have missed the opportunity to paint it.

This painting and my Apple Bowl Wallflowers painting will be at the Modbo’s Small Works show which is opening this Friday.

The Wrangler, Acrylic on Panel, 24x14

A couple months ago, my friend Jenny sent me a photo of this sign suggesting that it would make a great subject for my signpainting series. At the time, I was in the middle of the Dia de los Muertos and the Fire Fire Flood projects, so unfortunately it got put on hold. The delay turned out to work in my favor as it made me even more excited to jump in and I was surprised to find myself in what felt like my “comfort zone” (something I didn’t anticipate finding so early in my painting career). As with all pieces, this sign had some challenges. After reviewing some photographs at different angles I realized I had the star too high and the “Wrangler” font was wrong so I had to tweak these as I went along. Also, the cowboy himself was a challenge because I needed to show the age of the sign while still conveying my skill as an artist - hopefully I was able to walk that line.The foliage in this painting was a first for me – I love that I get to learn something new every time.

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.

Apple Bowl Wallflowers, Acrylic on Panel, 10x10

Here's a painting that I almost completed at the end of last school year. I was super happy with the way it was going and I didn't want to rush through finishing it. So, I waited until after summer when I had more time to focus on it. The bowl is from my grandmother's china collection. I had to simplify it because the original has some ornate holes in it that I'm not able to pull off just yet. I'll come back to it when I have more experience and confidence. The pattern is a sheet of scrapbooking paper. I'm crazy about this one and I'm sure there will be more like it from me.

BON Center, Acrylic on Panel, 20x16

I'm back! The kids are in school so I have time to paint again. Hopefully I'll be a little bit more prolific now. This is a sign from a shopping center built in 1953 in the Old North End of Colorado Springs.

Frontier TEL, Acrylic on Panel, 18x12

Another motel sign. This one is from a motel a little bit north of downtown Colorado Springs. I took this photo last month. I found another photo of this sign that was taken last year where it was mostly green and the "MOTEL" part was still damaged. So since then, apparently the owners have painted the poles and such, but haven't replaced the sign part. I'm going to go ahead and assume that it's been ordered and they are waiting for it to be delivered from the manufacturer.

Silver Saddle Motel, Acrylic on Panel, 11x14

A couple weeks ago I drove around Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs taking photos of the motel signs around there. This is the first painting from those shots. There is so much that I love about this painting (the texture of the sky and sign, the "Silver Saddle" script, the overall graphic quality of it) and so much that makes me cringe (the neon and shadows and the black text). Painting letters is incredibly challenging and I get so excited about finishing a painting that I rush through parts of it. But with every painting I learn something and I'm able to build on the experience. I'm looking forward to doing some more paintings like this. Hopefully with a bit more skill.

Yellow Flower in a White Vase, Acrylic on Reclaimed Plywood, 6x6

This was supposed to be a quick painting. I only wanted to take a day with it. I ended up taking three. As with most (if not all) of my paintings, there are about two or layers of fail attempts underneath what you see. This is the same flower from the previous painting, but I wanted to take another stab at it. I'm much happier with this one.  Also, I'll occasionally paint on scraps of wood. That's why there's a staple mark in this one.

Blue Birdhouse Yellow Flower Red Apple, Acrylic on Panel, 10x10

Bowl (21st St.), Acrylic on Panel, 5.5x11

Something a little different this time. I had a scrap piece of panel that I wanted to use and a photo from the bowling alley down the street from us. I was very intimidated going in and it was challenge to paint, but I ended up having a great time. I'm going to have to drive around town next week and take some more photos.

Red Pepper in a Black Bowl on a Blue Plate

Acrylic on Panel, 5x10