A Peek Inside My Painting Process

I absolutley cannot believe that this is my first post in two years! 2017 and 2018 have been a whirl wind of a couple of years. First off, I got married to the love of my life last November then, as of June this year I became apart of a wonderful studio space to fulfill/sell all my art creations (ACME Art Studios of Wilmington, NC) and currently my wife and I are looking into buying a new place to call home. I will spare you from all the minor details and drama that clouds the everyday life, but I would love to share some of the progress shots of my latest paintings/drawings.

Most of my paintings and drawings have many changing faces. As of late, I find myself starting out with a block of colors. Then the next few layers I go back and forth with shapes and lines, obsessing over the details to the point where I have to stop myself and call it a day. And finally, I wrap everything up with the high and low lights that call out the miniscule details and bring the work back full circle. 

This list of work is a bit of a modpodge of mediums. It depends on my method of execution but I mainly work with watercolors, pastels, color pencils and oil paint.

 This painting is "Airlie Scape" 36in x 24in oil on canvas. It took me a long time to complete this one, I had to put it away for a good year or so and when I came back to it I decided to try a few new techniques. The end resulted in something completely different from anything I have done in the past.


       

  

This one is "Carolina Beach: Mild Break" 16in x 20in watercolor, gouache and ink on watercolor paper. I donated this painting for a charity auction called "Thriller on the Griller" which gives all the profits to the Hope for the Warriors organization. (click the link for more information on this wonderful organization)
    

    

"Cooper" 16in x 20in watercolor, ink and color pencils on watercolor paper. This was a commissioned piece for a Christmas gift last year. I had loads of fun bringing out the character of this lovely pooch. 

"Spiral" 4in x 4in gouache and ink on panel. This one was different working on the panel. I decided not to prime the panel so the wood soaking up the gouache gave it a little more abstract depth.

    
    


"Old Oak" 30in x 20in oil on canvas. I used a lot of texture to create this piece. Some sections I piled on the paint with a palette knife/brush and other areas only a couple thin layers of paint. I would alternate piling on the paint in one layer and painting very thin lines to create depth in another. (side note) A lot of people ask how I achieve such thin black lines, it is very easy to do: mix black ( I prefer an equal mix of burnt umber and ultramarine blue) then I thin it down with a bit of gamsol and using a small brush I create lots of little lines. Simple as that.

These are just a few of the pieces I have to share for now, I wouldn't want to share all the goods at once.  Next week I'll be sharing a closer look at two mini series, succulents and cotton. In the mean time, if you are interested in getting daily information and updates you can follow me on Instagram or Facebook