 "Rm. 217" Oil 14" x 22" |
During my traditional birthday lunch at the Fitger complex last year, I realized I'd never actually seen the rest of the historic building. Walking a circuitous route via the restaurant, I happened onto the old hotel lobby and was instantly transported into a different era. The people milling about, with their cellphones and contemporary clothing, were the only reminder of modern life. Duluth history was literally woven into the carpeting beneath the feet of the customers checking into their rooms. I asked the staff if I could take a few photos to use as the basis of a possible painting. Normally, people are a bit shy about such things, but they went out of their way to accommodate me. In fact, they instinctively posed themselves in normal work-like positions as I took the photos. At some point, I may paint other images from that photo session. Thanks to all of you for being such great sports. By the way, the title of this painting is an homage to the great Stephen King. Thanks to him as well for the subtext I experienced that day. |
 "Food Group" Oil 18" x 11" |
This is my father. He hasn't seen this yet. When he does, I have no doubt he will make a joke about his head being cut off. Turning 89 last year, I wondered about his secret to longevity. On a recent trip to my brother's home on the west coast where they both reside, late one night I was awakened by the sound of a loud hissing noise, then a thud. I darted out of bed to investigate. I was drawn to a single light in the kitchen where my father stood cooking. Relieved, I thought, at 4 am, this must be a clue to his well being ... up early and a good breakfast. I asked him, "So, what are ya cookin'?" The voice behind the cabinet replied, "Oh, the usual." The beam of light from above the stove showcased the smokey splatters filling that part of the house like a search light in the rain. Later, my brother warned me to NEVER mess with "the" pan. Apparently, every morning, my dad wakes up, pre-dawn, to fire up the inch-thick grease in his pan and, when it heats to near combustion, he slaps into it a hunk of cold Jimmy Dean sausage. I felt obligated to pass along to all of you his secret. Now you, too, can live to a ripe old age. |
 "Incident" Oil 16" x 12" |
Occasionally, I paint based on strong images in my head, most of which are left over from particularly intense dreams. This is one of those paintings. It was the residue from ingesting the paranoid behavior of the government post 9/11, suggesting we all duct tape sheets of plastic over our windows to keep deadly chemicals from seeping in. Most often I like to paint images that are intriguing to some degree with a hint of levity. But, sometimes it's tough to find the humor in it all. |
 "Fresh" Oil 28" x 20" |
This is a custom piece I did for the young woman in the painting as a gift for her husband. According to the woman who took the photo, the two of them had slipped away from the others into the cabin of their boat for a nap. I thought the photo was artful in itself. My contribution to the image was to add texture to the canvas giving the illusion of seeing the two sleepers through a thin veil. Fortunately, both subjects truly enjoyed seeing the image as a painting. Textured canvases can create some wonderful and unexpected results. |
 "Heavy Metal" Oil 30" x 40" |
This is not a brand new painting, but it's new to my website. The main image is of a taconite plant in Minnesota, between Grand Marais and the Canadian border. One very cold November, I hiked up a steep, icy hill to catch the view of the plant with the semi-frozen Lake Superior in the background. If you look closely, you will see 5 young men in the painting. These guys were not actually there, but, the fact that I was trespassing on plant property to get the photo inspired their inclusion. Heavy metal is the product. At the apex of the roof of the building in the foreground is a vague likeness of Curt Cobain of the grunge band, Nirvana. The others I imagined to be similar young musicians whose lives were cut short as was his. As spirits, rappelling a giant taconite processing plant in November might well be a fun pastime for them. I suppose a psychologist might say I've painted my alter ego here. |
 "Beaming Miranda" Oil 30" x 34" |
This is a recent custom piece I did for the girlfriend of a student of mine. The challenge of this painting was perspective. It's common for me to extract images from different photos supplied by the client and "assemble" them onto a single painting. In this case, the client generously provided several good photos. We discussed the possibilities and agreed on basing the painting on three of them. The difficulty was that the three photos were taken from varying heights: one looking up at the baby's head, the second looking down on the elder sister's head and the third straight on to their bodies. It may not be evident in the resulting painting, but, trust me, it took all of my wits to balance it out. My client and her brother, the recipient, fortunately, were both very pleased with the portrait. |
