This is a non-objective vertical design, which began without the help of a drawing. I find it challenging to work this way allowing my creative energies to flow without a definite end product in mind. I first chose some colors from my cache of hand-painted collage papers, limiting the hues. This is difficult for me […] more »
This artwork is part of my Downtown Des Moines series, one of my most popular themes. I worked from a photograph taken a few years ago. A sketch fleshes out the main shapes and I edit throughout the drawing because there are a lot of unnecessary details that will not contribute to the final composition. […] more »
This design was started back in October and I put it aside for a while to think about the composition and colors. Sometimes the creativity flows easily, and other times I feel unsure what direction to take. The colors were good to start with; I liked the teal, turquoise and reds and ochre. Then I […] more »
This month it’s a birthday cake theme in acrylic collage. I wanted it to be very special with three layers, lots of icing and decorations. I did a lot of sketches to begin formulating a design before choosing which one would work best for me. This is a vertical format, instead of my original idea […] more »
This painting began with numerous sketches and photographs. The angular, rusty shapes attracted my attention and I found myself searching out these old industrial areas. Centerville has a lot of interesting places to paint. I completed a full-size sketch of this to begin with, seeking out big, abstract shapes and value patterns. I find this […] more »
The impetus for this design was an upcoming juried competition and the fact I wanted to do an abstract composition. Having a definite deadline always propels me into action. Starting with some geometric shapes, I began arranging the shapes on the support and thought about a definite value pattern. My main idea was a circular […] more »
Birds are a favorite subject matter of mine. I decided to do this unusual zoo bird, dancing on some eggs. The challenge was to do something different with the design. I placed it in a warm climate with its huge body, long neck and funny red hair and chunky, brown legs. I used one of […] more »
My idea was to re-work an old piece with the same title, but I ended up changing the whole design. There was a spark of an idea to add a guitar to an abstract piece and it kept evolving. The colors changed along the way too, which is one of the benefits working with collage. […] more »
This rooster acrylic collage is one of the many I have done with an Iowa animal theme. I usually begin doing a loose contour drawing and do not concern myself with a perfect, detailed drawing of the subject matter. I want the linear design to be lyrical and expressive. The background element was unknown at […] more »
This watercolor was painted in the “alla prima” technique, from the Italian meaning “at the first.” It describes a painting which is completed in a single session. The idea is to capture the essence of the subject in a bold, intuitive way, using vigorous, expressive brush strokes and minimal color mixing on the palette. This […] more »