miscellanyimages

For the time being, these paintings fall under the heading of miscellany. Meaning they are different. They may be very abstract or realistic, yet odd in some way. There may be religious imagery in some but it is not intended to be evangelical. I think of these paintings as discussions on or about religious topics. Vague, I know. But, of necessity, religion is somewhat vague. I am aware that these paintings are unusual but if you actually look these images over…not just a quick glance and move on…and think about them, you might find yourself interested in the topic.

On Display at the Cantrell Gallery, Little Rock, AR.	Baroque Mama 11 x 14 inches, acrylic on panel, 2009 Costanza Bonarelli was the mistress of the famous sculptor Bernini. Soap opera doesn’t begin to describe their situation. Bernini did a portrait bust of Costanza and I have always been impressed with Bernini’s work and this piece in particular. After making a small sketch of the sculpture I decided to paint it. I just happened to have an 11 by14 inch panel lying around and got busy. At some point I thought it would be fun to turn Bernini’s bust into a painted portrait. Then I decided to have it be stone at the bottom gradually changed to “flesh” going upwards. No, I don’t know anything about her hair color or skin tones but…this was just a “what if” project. When I got done I remembered I had this ornate frame that might work. Turns out it was 11 by 14 too. Perfect! Click here to enlarge image.
	Evolved Crucifix 20 x 26 inches acrylic on panel Basically I had this old, broken frame and I glued a masonite panel in it and then started laying the paint on in whatever fashion appealed to me. Later I laid in the shape of a cross and then kept on painting. Every artist has their own “soul food” strokes. These are the strokes that you draw in or paint in. This is the way I paint…whether it’s realistic or abstract. This is my technique as if it were naked. Nothing to disguise the paint. I also have tied the painting to the broken frame and for some odd reason, that is very satisfying to me. Click here to enlarge image.
SOLD - from Artist's personal collection 2007.	Hanging 24 x36 inches acrylic on panel While driving between Dermott and Monticello , I passed this clay bank which was made because the highway cut though the clay as it headed down to the delta on the other side of Cut-Off Creek. At some point I noticed that one fence post was literally hanging in mid air, supported by the wire fencing and one strand of barbed wire (I really wanted to type “bob war”). Further along the way west to Monticello I saw a creek bottom where the clay was laid down in various colored layers. So, as this painting developed I changed the red clay from the original site to the variegated clay and the painting just grew. No, there was no actual church in the scene but yes, otherwise the place looked much like my painting. Well, I did leave out the dumpsters. Click here to enlarge image.
SOLD - from Artist's personal collection 2007.	A Corner in Curved Space acrylic on panel 1991 This painting evolved from the idea of a corner fence post with a “halo” of pine needles behind it. The organizing idea behind the composition is that of a crucifixion. I had the corner post first and I had seen various places on fences where people had left small rolls of barbed wire…leftover pieces, I suppose. So I thought that a roll of barbed wire would make a nice crown of thorns. Bit by little bit, I built up the composition with small “symbols”. However, the painting is a scene…something you can see almost anywhere in Arkansas . It is a gravel road, an old church building and a graveyard with an adjoining piece of land. BUT…I used a few techniques to highlight the various symbols and give the painting a surrealistic flavor. Click here to enlarge image.