Friday, July 21, 2017

Just in Case

What if an astronaut got so wrapped up in his hunt for moon rocks his team left without him? Could he say, "Wait! Come back!"? Maybe they ought to put a phone booth on the moon...ya'know?...just in case. It certainly would make being on the moon feel a smidgen safer. Imagine if they could....

"Just in Case"
6" x 6"
Oil on Gessobord

This piece is a little painting I completed alla prima. It took about two hours before I felt I could stop, having "said" what I'm trying to say.

Feel free to check it out--or perhaps own it, among other works, at Daily Paintworks or Fine Art America.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Saturn Hula Hoop

So we're gonna say Saturn is the "Hawaii" of the solar system. That's because Saturn does the hula. Wait, what? Okay, more precisely, Saturn does the hula hoop.

I had this funny idea that an astronaut might stand on some celestial object, say, the moon, and do a "Saturn impression."

To help realize this vision, for reference shots, I had my son put on an astronaut Halloween costume and took pictures. Then I had to get him "trained" to hula hoop. 

Here's one of the dozens I took:



Then I painted this picture: of a hula hoop duet with Saturn. 

I tried to paint it fast, taking about two hours to get to a point at which I felt I might stop.

Oil on Gessobord
5" x 5"

Naturally, you're invited to check it out at Fine Art America or Daily Paintworks.

Friday, July 14, 2017

In Space, No One Can Hear You Sing...

...but wouldn't it be cool if they could?

I just love taking two visual ideas and fusing them together such that they almost seem possible. My "for instance," in this case anyway, is music on the moon. I mean, I know there's no air, but doesn't just seem like you' could hear a strumming guitar? Someone could serenade the new arrivals off the lunar lander, music wafting through the, uh, what? Air? No...music'd be wafting through the...vacuum. The vacuum? Well, playing guitar on the lunar surface should sound strikingly similar to playing air guitar. And of course, compounding ironies, even playing "air guitar" on the moon wouldn't even be possible: It'd have to be "airless guitar."

Anyway, getting back to the fantasy, here's a picture implying possible moon music:

"Hitchhiker With Guitar"
Oil on canvas
14 x 11

Oh yeah, and if he can hitch a ride, maybe he can make it in the big town of...Earth.

Monday, July 10, 2017

Moon Angel

Ever buy a Halloween costume not for Halloween? For a child? Actually, it was "for me," insofar as I was going to have my sons model for an art idea I had.

We went to a school field, and my sons took turns wearing an astronaut costume--that I bought in January. They were 9 and 7 at the time. I suppose a few people gave quizzical looks, wondering what we were up to. (Side note: It's interesting how UN-self-conscious I was, what with me having a specific plan in mind when I was taking these pictures.)

For the purposes of this post (anyway), here's one of those pictures...


...which I then used as a guide to create...

Moon Angel
5" x 5"
Oil on Gessobord

This was the first of many lunar-themed paintings I've created. 

(Should you be inclined to own this image, you can find it at Daily Paintworks and Fine Art America.)

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Moving Heaven and Earth

Whatever it takes....

Just do it....

You see where this is going. Playing with language, it struck me that "moving heaven and earth" could be turned into an appealing visual. I then figured if I paint (and post) a picture titled, "Moving Heaven and Earth," it could be a symbolic representation of my intention to do X...of my intention to, well, follow through on whatever daunting--yet wanted--task(s) is (are) before me.

Take a look:
Oil on Canvas
10" x 14"

If interested, by the way, you can find it, among other places, at Daily Paintworks or (for prints) at Fine Art America

Let's see if this depiction really does becomes an impetus for action!