Play Ball!

This is a painting I did for my daughter, Abby, since she's a freshman playing on the high school JV team this year.  I'd like to do a series on softball related items.  It's time to start scrounging up some of her equipment.

Findlay Area Artists/Toledo Museum of Art Olitsky Challenge

Last week I learned about the Findlay Area Artists/Toledo Museum of Art Olitsky Challenge.  It allows for those of use who live or have lived in Findlay to create a work that uses multiple colors in an abstract way in the style that we are used to.  I tend to work in a realistic style creating portraits or figurative works, so I substituted color for shade value in a pastel piece.  I like to work in pastel because they blend well, but they are SO messy.  I intentionally left some hard/found edges to give it a more abstract feel.  Another upside to this entry is that it allows for 2 other works to be shown at the TMA, so I already have the two other items in mind that will go along with the pastel work if it is chosen to be in the show.  Fingers are crossed!

Green Challenge at Daily Painters Meeting

Here is the oil painting I did on 6x6 pre prepped Ampersand board.  The challenge was to do a spring themed green work.  It took a few days before I came up with the idea to raid my wife's sewing box and confiscate different shades of green she had available.  This is the first oil painting that I have ever finished, but I'm hoping there will be many more in the future. 

Hello everyone!
This is my first blog so this is going to be a learning process until I get the hang of it.  I have many works that were created in recent years that I would like to show here periodically but my main focus is to share my new creations.  I hope those of you who visit here enjoy the art and I welcome constructive criticism.