Illustration

Drawing I drawing II Drawing for Fibers sketches Drawing III

pencil sketch of a sunflower

gouache painting of a flower

pencil sketch of a Pacific Sea Nettle as research for a sculpture

Charcoal drawing focusing on perspective

Charcoal "hanging still life" with utensil theme

Colored pencil still life with "day at the beach" theme

Chalk pastel still life with "game night" theme

White charcoal portrait combining traits of a historical figure (Queen Elizabeth I) with some of my facial features

Charcoal still life focusing on value

Inspired by the backyard birds of the southeast, I began a series of sketches, which I later incorporated into a cork and metal laser etched and laser cut composition. I have a passion for birds and continue to explore this subject matter in my artwork.

Focal Shifting explores the effects of various forms of contrast in order to direct the viewer's eye to specific focal points in a compostition. Here, I utilized value shifts, varying levels of rendering, compositional fractures and a spiral composition style. (detail view below)

Abstracting a painting by a Master stretches the mind to see a composition in terms of major shapes, surface textures, value shifts, and forms apart from the concept of narrative content. My piece is inspired by "The Painter's Honeymoon" by Leighton. In order to further abstract the work, I rendered my version upside down, although it works in either orientation. In this project I also worked with a limited primary color palette and used optical mixing to achieve a variety of hues.

Working with two panels and one subject matter, one gains insight into the subject from two vantage points; as a result, the information as well as the mood of the piece changes from one panel to the next. Notice the different atmosphere depicted in the vertical panel vs. that of the horizontal panel (below). The vertical panel depicts a sunflower in front of a fence, presumably in someone's yard. The horizontal panel reveals a peeping figure (the character Norman Bates from A&E's TV show "Bates Motel") piercingly looking at the viewer from behind the fence. Can you feel the mood change?