New woodcut

Recent woodcut of a friend of mine who is now a Franciscan friar.

New Woodcut for Christmas

Just finished a new cut... hot off the press! This one is just in time for Christmas. If you are interested in purchasing one (or more) I am offering them here for the low holiday price of $10 + shipping. I'll knock it down to $8 if you purchase five or more. Email me for more info.

More Progress on Big Painting

Here is a recent pic of the progress I made on the big painting I started last week. Going to put a glaze over this and see what happens next. I love what Peter Max says about painting: "The only thing I expect when I approach a canvas is to be surprised."

There is a Table in the Wilderness

This painting is about coming to the place of emptiness and finding sustenance in Christ. Acrylic on canvas 22"x36"

New work in progress

This is new piece I am currently working on. It depicts Jesus washing a man's feet. I have been meditating on humility lately and this image keeps coming to my mind. I just started this one today. It is about 5' wide and aprox. 3' tall. I am using acrylic to paint it.

Finally!

Finally got some new work to show. I have had this finished for awhile now. This is a painting that the Lord showed me in a vision after I asked Him what I should paint. It is acrylic on canvas 24"x15". It is called "You Can Go Back Home". The painting is based on the story of the prodigal son. It depicts the point in the story where the son came to his senses and began to consider the possibility of returning home to the father.

Excuses... excuses...

I know this is going to sound like an excuse, but here goes: I can't get my pictures off my camera to get them into my computer so that I can post the new work I have been doing (and, yes, I have been doing new work, totally new, radically-- well, ok, maybe not radically -- but, anyway the work is new).

I am wanting to share this sketchbook project with others though, so I can put that on here:

Moleskine 2 page spread

Here is a recent two page spread from my moleskine sketchbook along with some notes to myeslf.I think I would call this one "sphere of influence" based upon the note at the bottom left.

Woodcut: Late Fall Commute

Here is my latest woodcut print, just finished about 10 minutes ago. I am incorporating another love of mine: the bicycle. I love to commute to work on my bike so why not make a print in honor of this? Also, found a great ink to use. It is a soy based product, cleans up with soap and water but does not dry on the pallette. It is called Akua Ink. I encourage all my printmaking friends out there to check it out.

Headache

I call this one headache. It just has the look of someone who is dealing with a bad headache.

new woodcut, yea!!!!

I finally printed this cut... I actually cut it awhile back, but never got around to printing it. So I went on a printing spree today. I am doing a trade print with my printmaking class so I had to do someprinting. I also printed two others. I will post those later in the week.

Reading sketch

Here is another sketch from my sketchbook. In order to get everything in I had to continue the drawing of the figure on top to the next page on the bottom. I am currently building up sketches and ideas for a new series of woodcut prints for an upcoming show. I have been invited to produce a body of work for a show with two other artists: Richard Benoit and Akiko Matsuoka Thorson. It is curated by Claudia Creamer. The show will be presented at Union Street Gallery in Chicago Heights, IL. It will be called The Artists Marks and will begin Aug. 27 and run to Sept. 24th 2010. I am very excited about this opportunity. I will keep you updated on my progress as it, ummmmm, progresses. 

Oil Pastel Drawing on Scrap Cardboard

I did this drawing as a demo this morning for my figure studies class. I was trying to show the expressive qualities of using the oil pastels in a painterly mark making kind of way

Sketch of Graysen, my grandson...

Here is a sketch I did in my moleskine over the Easter weekend. I was holding my grandson on my lap and he was being wonderfully still. So, I asked my wife to fetch my sketchbook and I did this drawing.

Woman on the train

Here is a sketch I did a few weeks ago while on the train to Chicago

How about a new print?

This is a new print. It began as a demo for my printmaking class. I just expanded it a bit. It is a drypoint and chine' colle print. You may recognize the image, I lifted it directly out of my sketchbook. It is about 4"x5" (image size); 8"x10" with the mat.

Another sketch from the barber shop

Here is another barber shop sketch from the same day.

Barber shop sketch

I did this sketch while in the barber shop the other day... I love going in to hear all the old timers (hey, wait a minute... I am getting to be an old timer).

Noodles Inc. sketchbook entry

This is a drawing I did a few weeks ago while I was in Chicago. I was eating at Noodles Inc. (Veg. Pad Thai is the best)... anyway this guy was sitting next to me so I decided to sketch him while I was waiting. I love to try to capture the essence of a person with as few lines as possible. I am trying to get a poetic feel with this drawing. I am also interested with the notion of the "sacrement of the present", trying to become aware of my surroundings in the present moment. It is amazing how unaware we really are. This kind of awareness in so necessary to good drawing. I am pleased with how this turned out.

Drawing on the train to Chi-town

 

Thia is a drawing I did while on the train to Chicago. It seems, I have discovered, that some people are more apt to be aware of someone looking at them. I always try to draw people who do not know I am drawing them. This guy just kept looking up. Every time I would try to steal a glance to capture an angle, a line or a shadow he would look up at me and stare. I would have to look back down at my sketchpad and act like I was writing or drawing until I felt it was safe to look back up at him. It became kind of a game for me. Although I am sure this man was not particularly interested in playing. 

Sketchbook: "on the phone"

I did this drawing of my wife while she was talking on the phone.

Sketchbook Drawing

I did this drawing of a lady while I was at a friend's house. When I first started she was sitting real still for me (she didn't know I was drawing her) then she got up and I had to draw the rest from memory.

St. Theresa, Woodcut

Finally did a new woodcut... here is St. Theresa in contemplation.

charcoal drawing

I did this drawing as a demo for my figure drawing students. I was trying to show them how to begin with a mass gesture sketch and develop the drawing from there.

Continous contour line drawing

This is a continuous contour line drawing. I did it as a demo for my drawing class. I thought it turned out pretty good. I was trying to explain the process of going from your gut when you draw. I think the continous contour line and blind contour line are great ways to practice this.

Media: graphite on paper, size 20x26"

Head in Profile, sketchbook page

Still working on my next woodcut. Here is another sketchbook image for now. 

Another Sketchbook Entry

Here is another sketchbook image. I really like the composition on the right side. I will probably use this for my next woodcut.

Tree print included in online gallery

Someone included one of my woodcut tree prints on his Flicker gallery page. He (or she, I am not sure) curated an online exhibition of woodcut tree prints. There are alot more wonderful prints there. I am honored that someone found one of my prints and included it on their gallery page.

More Moleskine sketchbook pages

Here are a couple of people I drew recently. I always try to draw people when they are unaware of the fact that I am drawing them. This can be quite challenging, but the more you do it the better you get at it.

Headache

I called this sketch "Headache" because that is what was happening to this person. I hope she is feeling better now. I hope to make this into a woodcut print soon.

Sketchbook

I know it has been awhile since I posted a new woodcut. I have been taking a break during my university's semester break. I have been doing a lot of sketching in my Moleskine sketchbook, though. I will post some of the one's I think are the best over the next several days. In the meantime I will also be working on some new cuts. Perhaps some of these sketches will make it into a print.

This first one here is a drawing I did of my daughter while she was reading in her room. She has this wonderful round chair she sits in, I thought it provided an interesting aspect to the composition.