Unfortunately, that keeper that I had hoped to accomplish is still on the board. I get a bright idea and then stay up all night working to finish it. The new one is a little tedious- interesting, but tedious. I hope by now that you have all surmised that it would be hard to pick my particular style. I think that this is due to teaching students to be creative and be problem solvers. I also need to challenge myself to solve problems. Today's work consists of actual small squares that are cut and overlapped(1/4"each). When viewing the actual work shadows are cast by the individual squares onto the one beneath it. Throughout my various types of paintings patterns have been very important. I have a brother-in-law who creates work using this technique. His are all very large and color field types of paintings. He uses color match-like paper to do them. He is an architect by trade. I think that he should pursue his painting. We are all impacted by that which surrounds us. On this beautiful Monday afternoon, I hope that you have taken the time to step outside and smell, feel , hear and see the day.

Good morning everyone. Today's comments will be short. I want to thank all of the well-wishers for all of your birthday greetings. Today is the actual day. The boys(Matt and David) and I are going to do the Zip line- yeow!!!!!! I'll call it male bonding and fun. We celebrated last night. So on this actual day, I hope to create a keeper. Thanks again for the thoughts and happy painting everyone.

I hope that this painting is a pleasant surprise. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this person's work, it is a painting that my Grandmother created. It's title is "The Day My Father Died". Her name is Tella Kitchen. She was a great story teller, not only through her painting medium, but also through her ability to tell a story. I often think that I gained some of my desire to tell the history of my community because of her. I find her paintings fascinating. She was discovered by Robert Bishop former curator at the Ford Museum and eventual curator to the American Folk Art Museum. He felt that she was destined to be greater than Grandma Moses. In my eyes and heart there is no comparison. I am giving a talk in Bexley, Ohio in a room named for Leland McClelland. He was how I started. I often would talk about my Grandma to him and he thought that it was just a loving grandson talking. He visited her and as curator of the Art at the Ohio State Fair, she became the featured artist twice. Her work can be found in many prestigious collections and in books on American Folk Art. I recently spotted a piece in Architectural Digest. So on this Friday afternoon, I pause, I smile, and I think of Grandma. Take time to think about those good stories that you have in your history. Pleasant thoughts!

It is a rainy Thursday morning. I hope that the colors in this painting will soften the gloom of the day. The pastel appearance of this painting is created through the use of my transparent paints being mixed with opaque white. I think of myself as a painter first and a transparent watercolorist as a matter of category or medium. I like the appearance of transparent watercolor but occasionally I enjoy not worrying about painting around the objects in the paintings. I also find myself returning to a theme that I like- water and the circular shape of the moon or sun, each helping create some type of mood in the piece. I hope that you have a worry free day.

Who among us can not appreciate the effects created by the sun. Having stood at the ocean's edge with groups to watch the sun set, I have been in total awe of the speed and the beauty of the sun "sinking" into the water's edge. I am assured by the applause around me that I am not alone in this appreciation. I hope in this painting that I have created a feeling for the power of light on our earth. As a painter, I am always aware of lights and darks(values). I hope that you will take time to look at all of the elements around you- lights and darks, colors, textures, shapes and lines. Take time to study how they all work together to make interesting visual images for you .

Enjoy your mornings, your afternoons and your nights!

I have made it to Saturday. Above is another painting that uses the moon . This is a more traditional painting. I return to using water to carry your eye to the focal point. Yesterday's landscape painting was not as literal. I enjoyed painting yesterday's rendition much more than today's. I find it more stimulating to paint and respond to what I have just placed on the surface. I like the "what if" and the "aha" of discovery in creating some of my paintings. I like solving problems. There are times that a tight drawing makes me feel as though I have no freedom in the direction of the work. I would like my work to have a more spontaneous look. Maybe the next one. Enjoy your evening. I'm off to paint.



I must now go back to work on the next painting. The first of May is not that far away. Have a pleasant evening.

It's is Friday and I am about to begin painting for the day. Today's painting is a mixed media piece. In this painting I have worked on creating interesting textures- some real, others invented. The media-color pencil, watercolor, gel medium, acrylic paint. Realizing that I have an audience for my work, I tend to feel the need to paint subject matter that is based on our surroundings. My grandson is fascinated with the moon. We look for it out the windows and some nights, of course, we are not going to find it. So Glen, Grandpa has put the moon where it is easily found. This blog also permits me to show my daughter, the graphic designer, what Dad is doing. So Sarah, here is Dad's offering for the day. I hope that you enjoy it. Speaking of enjoyment, may you all have a great day. To answer the question about leaving comments you click on "comments" and the comment box appears.

Today's painting was inspired by that Key West rooster that awakened us every morning of our stay. I was intrigued by the fact that there are roosters everywhere. Evne in one of ther restaurants that we visited. The elements of art are at work for me in this painting. I have always liked patterns and the idea of using lines to create form made my painting more interesting to me- the painter. Key West was a true experience. Fun. Fun. Fun. I hope that my image for the day illustrates the same feeling. Fun. Fun. Fun.

It's Wednesday morning and time to give another peek at offerings for my annual open house. On our recent trip to Florida, we took our bicycles to get around. The bicycles that are seen in the area are reminiscent of bicycles from our early days. In this piece I have used a mixture of painting and collage. I used our AAA Trip tik for the background and of course watercolor for my subject. We loved riding our bikes to and from all of our destinations. My lovely wife,Mary Anne, wanted a bell on the bike. Next time! The actual textures of the torn paper add an interesting quality to my final piece. I find that I must always keep that "what if" attitude when I work. It is this curiosity that keeps me painting and gives my work a diverse appearance. I often receive comments at art shows about this diversity. Many people think that my display was created by more than one person. No, its just me and my curious mind. Here's wishing you a happy journey.

Now that I am home, it is time to get back to work. I have decided to show you a few of the paintings that I am creating for my annual open house. I have had an open house for 30 years. It has grown with me. I am grateful to all of my patrons. I hope that you will enjoy thiese "sneak peeks" of some of the paintings that will be available in May.Here is a painting that I owe to friends of ours that took us to lunch on their boat while we were in Florida. We passed through a harbor that had many "shrimping" boats. They have such character. I liked the textures, the colors and the lines that the image of these docked ships created for me. I also liked the name. I recently lost a friend whose name was Shirley. She would be pleased. Thanks Jim and Lois for the lunch and the painting. I hope that today's painting will stir a few memories for all of you. Have a great day.

I am back! After a restful trip to Florida, I am ready to begin painting again. I often paint water because of its calming affect on me. I like the sound of the water. It is time to continue to get ready for our thirtieth open house. I prepare for this all winter. After we have this show it will be time to hit the road for the outdoor art festivals. I hope I will see quite a few of you out there. Summer is just around the corner. But I still paint those winter scenes. The contrast of the empty shapes next to the trees gives my work more visual impact. I hope that you will find this painting restful.