O'keeffe

Georgia O'Keeffe 1887-1986

The legendary O'Keeffe famous for her Cow Skulls and abstract flowers had a much broader appeal then most realize. In my opinion, she was way ahead of her time. Here is an image of "Radiator Building, Night New York, 1927. Oil on canvas.

I fortunately saw her paintings in exhibit in San Francisco a few years back. Her brillant color palette gave me chills. Ansel Adams once said about her, "She's a very great artist. Nobody can look at a painting without being deeply effected." I have to agree. She has been one of my inspirations for many, many years and continues to do so.

Running with Scissors

Title: Running with Scissors

Large Size: 36” x 36” x 1.5”

“Running with scissors” is the third composition from my industrial series of modern abstract geometric minimalism paintings. It arouses both sight and touch while challenging the senses with bold high-energy spaces of brightly animated color and riveting metallic textures. Additional point of interest is achieved as the shapes are activated over a striped background with alternated gloss and matte varnished applications. This process of both matte and glossy intensifies the design and a special varnish used on silver leaf to prevent tarnishing.

I used acrylics, acrylic medium for texture, with combination of gold and silver foil leafing to give the observer a unique 3D experience of smooth yet strong presence.

silver leaf foil wraps around the sides

side view of stripes on edges


staged view

in all the right places

Strange maybe, but I love graffiti. This charming tag, which is quite large, can appropriately be found at the back entrance on the wall of the Center of the arts down town Grass Valley.

To my recollection it has been there around 15 years more or less long before it even was the center of the arts. Relieved that no one ever painted over it after all these years. It does dress up the garbage can area nicely don't you think?

works of artist Michael Kvium

Michael Kvium self portrait, Or perhaps aren't they all?



Danish born, modern artist, Michael Kvium (1955)














This is a taste of just a few from the tons of modern works from Michael Kvium. I wish I could tell you more about him. I discovered this artist around 10 years ago. His rich color palette and edgy composition fascinates me. Every written word that I could find about him is in Danish. If you know more about him, do tell.

Thank you for the link Hyldig. Please readers click here if you like to learn more about Kvium in English text.

breaking through

The fog was thick that early morning. The sun's enduring rays brought new hope.

Title: Breaking Through :: Sold

Media: acrylic
Dimensions: 30” x 30” x 1.5”
Date of Work: 2008


My painting was inspired by my side of the ocean the pacific coast. This is a large modern abstract style painting in aqua, blues, white, yellows and a slight hint of apricot. It is available at a fraction of the gallery list price. To see more click here at my paintslinging shop link.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

why do I do the things I do?

Have you ever thought to yourself, "why did I react that way"? The author Taylor Hartman, Ph.D. explains just how much our personalities are actually formed in the womb. If you would like to learn what makes you tick and the people around you, this read is wonderfully insightful. If you go to Hartman's web site you can take the personality test. Click here to take the test. It's free.

Beware, you'll have a hard time putting it down!

memorial day

I hope you all have a peaceful Memorial day weekend! I'll be finishing up on my latest painting and I can hardly wait to start the next, actually the next two. My brain is working faster then my paint brush. Not complaining....that's the way I like it!

Here's to you and yours and most of all to those that made this day possible!

Australian sculptor Ron Mueck

A Girl 2006.


Spooning Couple, Mixed Media. 2005.


Spooning Couple, 2005 (in progress).

I'm fascinated by the works of sculptor Ron Mueck. His pieces draw you in and you want to see more. Eerily life like, thought provoking, and genius. I would be hard pressed to have to pick a favorite. Wondering just how long a typical piece takes to make. To see more click here.

Ron Mueck (born 1958) is an Australian hyper-realist sculptor working in Great Britain.

Mueck is a is a former television and film model maker with no formal art training. Mueck's early career was as a model maker and puppeteer for children's television and films, notably the film Labyrinth for which he also contributed the voice of Ludo, and the Jim Henson series The Storyteller. A great source of information of this amazing artist can be easily found at Ron Mueck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

zap, bam, pow

Title: ZAP!
Media: acrylic, acrylic medium, silver leaf
Dimensions: 30" x 24" x 1.5"
Date of Work: 2009

BAM ! POW! WHAM!

This is the first painting from my industrial collection of geometric abstracts. It provokes both sight and touch while scintillating the senses with bold high-energy spaces, brightly animated color and tantalizing silver leaf foil with round contoured textures.

coat of many colors

God has to be the ultimate paint slinger.

body painting

I'm not really sure when America started slinging paint on our bodies, though it is a very ancient art form. The earliest I know of is Goldie Hawn from Laugh-in. I'm way to lazy today to do the research, so if you can enlighten us all, please do tell.



Here's my little paint slinger Lydia.

throw caution to the wind

Life is more then just painting....there is always time to dance!