Puzzling and Playing

"The first assembly"

Assembling a Painting

This is the beginnings of a new "intarsia" piece I'm working on. Each piece (there are 76 of them) is cut out, texturized, painted and then assembled and resined. The photo above shows the first actual assembly of the piece before the first layer of paint was applied. Photos below are just a couple to show what they look like with the first layer of paint. They will get several more layers of paint...so stay tuned. 

First layer of paint

First layer of paint

St.Claire Art Studio Tour

Studio Tour

This is just a quick tour of my studio this afternoon. This video is no longer current however, because one of the paintings shown here was purchased and is headed to a new home in India!! That's right. Not Indiana...India (across the ocean a long ways).

Hominy Valley

"Hominy Valley" (16" x 26")

Local North Carolina Scenes

Some of our favorite hiking trails in western North Carolina are just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, southeast of Mt. Pisgah. Waterfalls, streams, amazing vistas and BLUEBERRIES are what make this part of the Blue Ridge landscape so special. The fastest route to the top of the Parkway here is on the back side of Mt. Pisgah. Gradually making your way through rolling hills and Hominy Valley, (a beautiful place filled with wildflowers) you approach the hulking mountain (our local landmark). Many such drives through Hominy Valley have inspired this oil painting. I hope you enjoy it and next time you're in Asheville and feel like exploring, come by the studio and I'll pull out a map and point you in the right direction. 

"The Acolytes" is installed in Georgetown, SC

"The Acolytes"

The Acolytes

Joy and I had a great time yesterday delivering and installing my tropical fish painting in the amazing home of our clients, Keith and Becky Belcher. They live in an idyllic section of the South Carolina coast between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. It was great to feel sand and sea water on our feet again! I let my clients name the piece and Becky came up with the title "The Acolytes". She explained that in the Methodist church, the acolyte is a child that lights the candles in the beginning of the service, and then carries the lit candlelighter out of the service at the end, signifying the carrying of light out into a dark world. She said that that's what the painting reminded her of: these fish have been swimming near the surface in the sunlight and now they're "carrying" the light down into dark places. I love that! Symbols are so powerful and the symbol of light has been sacred to people in every culture since the beginning of time. So, thank you Becky! Great title! 

"Zuma"

Just Because it's Fun to Paint

I live in Asheville, North Carolina and because of that, I'm usually painting the woods, mountains and trails I love up here in the Blue Ridge mountains. But a couple weeks ago, after my exploration into the underwater world of giant kelp and tropical fish, I decided to experiment again with more water; this time a crashing wave. I rarely have more fun than I did with this one! This piece measures 40" x 50" but I am thinking it would be awesome a lot larger than this as a statement piece or awesome entrance art. 

"Zuma" (40" x 50")

Fishy Art

Underwater Art

This project, featuring a school of tropical fish swimming amongst giant kelp was the most intricate, detailed painting I've done using this technique. Finished this time with satin varnish rather than gloss resin, it's new home will be in Georgetown, SC. 

"The Journey"

"The Journey" (48" x 20")

The Journey

Living here in the land of rivers and waterfalls, we've fallen in love with exploring random and sometimes seldom used trails around the mountains of western North Carolina. The silence except for the rustling of leaves and the gentle gurgling of a stream -- the feel of cold clear water on your feet after a long hike -- that's what I love about living here. One such hike inspired this painting. I've entitled in "The Journey" because a river is not just an entity in itself and it's not a singular creation...it is the joining of many waters into one river that may not have a recognizable beginning, but all the energy gathered from all the sources cascades over obstacles, growing wider and more powerful along the way to it's eventual union with the sea. That's life.  

Hyatt Ridge (26" x 16")

Hyatt Ridge

Last October, my kids were visiting Asheville and one of the days, we ran over to the Bryson City area to go hiking. As we entered Smoky Mountains National Park (on the "Road to Nowhere"), we got to the end of the road (in the middle of...nowhere) and parked the car. After walking through an old abandoned auto tunnel (they ran out of money in the Depression and simply stopped the road project) we started on the trail. The place was silent except for the sound of the wind in the trees and the "crunch" of leaves underfoot. Talk about a source of inspiration. How could I not paint this? This was a perfect day. This painting is my attempt to capture that day last autumn. 

"Broad River in October"

Constructing a Painting

This piece, "Broad River in October" is so reminiscent of Autumn. In "constructing" this piece, I used more texture than I usually do, but that created very rich and dimensional results I'm very happy with. 

A Blast From the Past

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Third Movement

Painting Music

While visiting my son Gerin, I found a painting I had worked on about twelve years ago and it still gives me pleasure as I remember the process of its creation. The assignment I gave myself was to create a series of four paintings that visually portrayed the essence of one of the most famous pieces of music ever composed: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. 

The only way I knew how to do this was to close the door, turn the lights out and listen to this incredible piece of music over and over and over again and (in a sense) let it take me where it wanted.  I noticed minute details I'd never really paid attention to before. The third movement (portrayed here) is a very ethereal, dark, moody section. And underneath the haunting music is a sort of rhythmic framework repeated throughout the piece: 1234...1234...1234...1234...As the third movement draws to a close, it gets quieter and quieter until it is almost silent...and then it explodes into the majestic first few notes of the fourth movement. 

Remembering the fun of the creation of this set honestly makes me want to try it again. Any requests???