Rose

"Rose", Acrylic on Panel, 7x5"

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Here's one for Valentine's Day.  I ended up doing a half dozen small ones today - trying out some new techniques.  I may post some of them this weekend.  :)

Curb

"Curb", Acrylic on Panel, 5x7"

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I love seeing what kinds of things people put out on large trash collection day.  I also love the interesting shadows they cast.  I like how this one turned out - a much looser style, but I think it works.

On a different topic, I've been listening to Steven Pinker's "Better Angels of Our Nature" while I paint and I highly recommend it.  It's about how violence has decreased dramatically in the modern age.

Bike Shadow

"Bike Shadow", Acrylic on Panel, 5x7"

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Here's one of my bicycle painting in miniature.  I don't particularly like the bikes themselves, but I love the shadows.  They lend the image such a strong graphic quality.

I'm still hating this small size - the brush work feels so clumsy.  In the larger paintings, I do a lot of paint manipulation when the paint is wet (lifting out or scratching in patterns).  Those techniques just don't work with this size - I can't get the detail I want and it's too easy for the colors to get muddy.  I either need to get smaller/better brushes or figure out a new approach.

Apples

"Apples", Acrylic on Panel, 5x7"

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I decided to play around with some different paint techniques today (plus, a simpler subject).  I like the effect of the layered marks - looks almost like colored pencil.

I'm getting so caught up with these little paintings that I've delayed starting my next big piece.  I ended up doing 3 little ones today - this is the only one I like.

Drive

"Drive", Acrylic on Panel, 5x7"

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Today's painting revisits the subject of one of my earlier series - the ubiquitous homeless in the Austin landscape.  I especially like the juxtaposition with the birds in mirror - since birds on phone wires are the "safe" subject matter of so many artists.

Also, I like the inclusion of the mirror, since it brings the viewer of the original image (me in this case) into the concept.

I'm thinking about working a bit larger for subsequent daily paintings - I'm feeling too constrained by the size.

So much depends

"So much depends", Acrylic on Panel, 5x7"

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This image got me thinking about William Carlos Williams and a poem I loved back in college.

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens.

 I think it might be time to dust off my poetry books!

Bonsai

"Bonsai", Acrylic on Panel, 5x7"

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I decided to try miniaturizing my trees today.  I like it & think I'll do a few more along this line.