Welcome!

Here I am at my drafting table where I do all of the sketches I do to get a painting figured out.  I mostly use pastels but sometimes use colored pencils too.  Sometimes I will do many sketches before I get something I’m exited about.  Sometimes I get the idea in my head down on the first try!  In my blog, I will share with you some of the ideas I have when I begin concepts.  I will try to share with you what goes into a painting before it becomes “a painting.”  Thanks for your interest in my art!

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Worlds Collide Sketch and Painting

img_0028One of  my more recent paintings, “Worlds Collide,” is shown at right in a concept sketch I did using pastels on paper.  This is one concept that came out it painting form that looks very close to the sketch.   It is good practice for me to do a sketch of a painting that is in my head before I begin work on the canvas.  The canvases I use are usually rather large.  This one is 40″x40″ and is one of the smaller size canvases that I do.  I prefer to work at least that large,  but occassionally I will do slightly smaller pieces.  When working on large surfaces it helps to have a plan.  Sometimes the concept sketch works well in large form, sometimes not.   But after I do a sketch that I’m happy with I get excited and that builds the energy neeeded to get to work!  Worlds Collide has an energetic feel to it.  It reminds me of energy forces coming together and forming something that has a life of its own.  The finished painting is shown below.