May, June, and July

After completing April 2015a (note: all these titles are place holders, I'll create something more personal in the future but just didn't want to deal with it immediately) I decided to make an complete series of stripes on board because I really liked the interaction of the vertical colors with the wood grain as well as the opportunity to create interesting relationships between the different stripes. In living with these in my own space for a while I've also found it very interesting how they all work with each other, that the vertical stripes have an additive affect and effect, but that if one of them is hung horizontally it starts to cancel the others out.

May 2015a

acrylic, oil pastel, shellac on wood

48" x 15.5" x 1"

2015

May 2015a (close-up)

 May 2015b

acrylic, oil pastel, shellac on wood

34.5" x 10" x 1"

2015

May 2015b (close-up) 

May 2015c

acrylic, oil pastel, shellac on wood

41" x 16.75" x 1"

2015 

May 2015c (close-up) 

 May 2015d

acrylic, oil pastel, shellac on wood

58" x 10" x 1"

2015

May 2015d (close-up)

June 2015a

acrylic, oil pastel, epoxy, shellac on wood

72" x 16.25" x 2"

2015

June 2015a (close-up)

Because of the interaction I noticed between the different pieces, I wanted to look for a way to create a single piece that would have that same effect; so I came up with a system for hanging a series of them perpendicular to the wall.

July 2015a

acrylic, oil pastel, epoxy, shellac on wood

45" x 10" x 5.5"

2015

It took me two days to work out the hanging system but finally decided that a mortised french cleat was the best way to do it because of its strength, stability, and clean look.

Mortised French Cleat

I like the idea of hanging them "a little too tight," so that the viewer can't easily see all the sections, I think it adds a little mystery and tension, keeping the viewer engaged and wanting more.

July 2015a (second view)

I'm happy with the resulting interaction between the colors as the viewer looks at the top, bottom, and walks around it.

July 2015a (close-up)

July 2015b

acrylic, oil pastel, shellac on wood

63" x 7.5" x 7.5"

2015

July 2015b (first close-up)

July 2015b (second close-up)

More Barn Art

As I mentioned a couple of years ago, I created a series of "barn art" sculpture/paintings for the exterior of my barn/house. Recently, I moved two of them to a barn in Marshfield, VT on Route 2 so they would get more visibility. The move, however, left a void on my own space and because I had some extra scraps laying around, and because I didn't like one of my existing pieces and wanted to reconfigure it, I made a few more pieces.

Untitled September 2013 barn art pieces on their Marshfield, VT location

I found the process of playing with the shapes and colors, and trying/struggling to make something that I'm proud of, a good exercise.

June 2015a (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

34.5" x 24" x 1.5"

2015

I think this one in particular would look great blown-up, perhaps to three times its current size.

They work on carports too!

As I was looking at all the pieces I had cut up, and painted, I kept on thinking there had to be good art in there somewhere. And slowly, as I mixed and matched, and re-mixed, they were revealed.

June 2015b (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

34.5" x 30.5" x 2.25"

2015

I like the contrast of contemporary art on an old traditional structure, but I also like the unexpected quality of them, how unusual it is to see something like this on the outside of a home, so I think they would go well on a regular house as well.

June 2015c (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

36.5" x 20" x 2.25"

2015

June 2015d (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

36" x 33" x 2.25"

2015

June 2015e (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

40" x 18" x 1.5"

2015

Last year I made a piece for a barn near Asheville, NC, as I mentioned here, so site-specific commissions are welcome and, though I enjoy living with all of the ones I've created for myself, I'm happy for them to move on to other people's homes so I have room to make new ones. Don't hesitate to inquire if you are at all interested.

Bumper Sticker Update #4

As stated in previous posts, I create and distribute bumper stickers as an antidote to dogmatic bumper stickers that tell others what to do, think, and/or believe because I have found that even if I agree with the sentiment, they make me feel anxious. I love the idea of saying nothing and letting others interpret the bumper sticker for themselves, it is my small way of adding a little tranquility to the roadways, where it is badly needed. Because I like to see them on the roads, and because I like to distribute as many as possible, I offer all U.S. residents one free as long as they promise to put them on their cars; all other bumper stickers are $10. Since I post all my new ones on my Facebook page first, you need to check there to see what is available (I never have more than the last two on-hand). If you want one, just email me your address and it will show up in your mailbox. Below are the twenty-first through the twenty-seventh in the series.

 090314

3" x 10"

limited edition of 12

2014

  100514

3" x 10"

limited edition of 10

2014

With all of my previous bumper stickers I had used the printing companies cheapest printing method. I didn't always capture the colors exactly as I had envisioned them but that was good enough as long as I had many different colors in the design. However, when I changed to a more minimalist style, each color became critically important so I needed more accuracy. After going back and forth with the printing company a few times they suggested upgrading to their digital process. It is more expensive but it was too embarrassing to be associated with stickers I hadn't intended.

121114

3" x 10"

limited edition of 10

2014

 122614

3" x 10"

limited edition of 10

2014

 022015

3" x 10"

limited edition of 10

2015

 050915

3" x 10"

limited edition of 10

2015

 061715

3" x 10"

limited edition of 10

2015

Of course, this isn't a money making business but I do find it fun and entertaining. Some people go to movies, others give away bumper stickers, to each their own.

May 2014, March 2015, and April 2015

I'm a bit behind on posting about my work so here is an update with the five pieces I completed in March and April and another that I finished last year but just got around to photographing. Starting with the most recent, April 2015c, a two-sided hanging sculpture with multi-colored pulsating stripes that wrap all the way around each of the four boards. Because it is 80" high it is at the outside limits of what I can photograph on my own. I'll need to get professional images taken at some point but I think these are good enough to give people an idea of what it looks like. Technically, I feel it should hang about five inches off the floor but I didn't have the space to do that.

 April 2015c (side 1)

acrylic, shellac, epoxy, and oil pastel on wood with metal suspension

80" x 23" x 1"

(26.75" wide including metal suspension)

2015

April 2015c (side 1 closeup)

April 2015c (side 2)

It is hung on a 1/2" stainless steel rod the runs through each board. I've used plumbing hardware that I picked up at my local hardware store but will work with a fabricator to create something a little more professional before I display it publicly.

 April 2015c (side 2 closeup)

April 2015a and April 2015b are both made with laminated plywood that I sealed and "smoothed" with epoxy and gesso before painting. Because they aren't completely smooth, the process of rubbing them with shellac fills the imperfections with color. April 2015a is nineteen-sided and April 2015b is fourteen-sided. Neither had a preferred orientation so they can be displayed numerous ways.

 April 2015a

acrylic and shellac on laminated plywood

7" x 29" x 11.5"

2015

 April 2015a (second orientation)

 April 2015a (third orientation)

 April 2015a (fourth orientation)

 April 2015b

acrylic and shellac on laminated plywood

6.5" x 29" x 7.5"

2015 

April 2015b (second orientation)

March 2015a and March 2015b are both two-sided pieces with pedestal stands. Additionally, they combine abstract expressionist and geometric abstraction styles.

March 2015a (side 1)

wood, acrylic, oil pastel, shellac, epoxy, stainless steel

70.25" x 15.5" x 1.25"

2015

March 2015a (side 2)

March 2015a (side 1 closeup)

March 2015b has a skewed square theme rather than the circles used on March 2015a.

March 2015b (side 1)

wood, acrylic, oil pastel, shellac, epoxy, stainless steel

67" x 16" x 1.25"

2015

March 2015b (side 2)

 March 2015b (side 1 closeup)

March 2015b (side 2 closeup)

May 2014c is a precursor to the Fun With Scraps series that I completed a few of months ago. I'd really like to make a human-scale version of something like this in the future

May 2014c

acrylic on wood

22.75" x 15" x 6.75"

2014

May 2014c (second view)