New Work

So I've been experimenting with a few new approaches to my work lately.  In a word I've been trying to construct spaces that are more loose, open ended and have some element of decay.  Not literally but more of an unfinshed distressed quality as if elements of the painting are rewriting themselves like a memory or dream. I want them to feel like a living thing. This all relays on a pretty loose and intuitive process of trial and error where you have to almost stumble with your eyes open.  I must say it has always felt very natural for me to work this way but that doesn't mean it results in success (there are hundreds of my paintings in the ground due to a loose, intuitive approach) and often I drift towards a finished painting that is much tighter then I'd set out to make.  I'm hoping to put that in the past.  Does this all sound familiar?

Below are two new studies which I think are a step in the right direction (although a baby step).

Both are available on my Etsy shop .

Brian Paquette & Sunset Magazine's Idea Town, Seabrook, WA

Over the winter my good friend ,and incrediably talented interior designer, Brian Paquette was chosen to do the interior design for two newly constructed homes for Sunset Magazine's Idea Town located in Seabrook, WA unfairly situated on the Washington coast.

Long story short Brian asked if I would be up for making some work that had the look and feel of the Washington coast.  Loose paintings that would capture what its like out there with out being terribly specific.  The answer was yes, of course.  I lived on the West Coast for three years and had actually visited the Olympic Peninsula so I had a store of images already pent-up in my head that I'd been hoping to tap into some day, now i could.

Its worth mentioning that another facet of the project was a series of photographs Brian sent over to me that I then created loose painting from which you can see a handful of in the image above.  You can view these along with the more loose paintings on my website or if you're lucky enough to be on the Washington Coast you can go tour the house starting today!

A big thanks to Brian for including me.

Also drop what you're doing and go visit his stellar website HERE.