Separation Anxiety

If it's hard for human parents & children to detach, imagine how tough it must be for marsupials.

Sorry about the gore... I tried to keep it subtle, but it had to be there.

Acrylic on text (from a 1901 Young People's Natural History) on canvas, 5x4". Click for a closer view.

This was my first painting using Golden's Open Acrylics. Wow, they are fun! Go get some! What's really cool is that they mix with their standard acrylics, so you don't need to start with a huge palette.

Edit: Rima's comment made me realize I didn't explain what was different about the Open Acrylics. The difference is that they are much slower to dry, so they can be worked much longer. Yet they are somewhat faster drying than oils, thin & clean with water, & can be mixed with regular acrylics or Open media to tweak drying time in either direction. Paint on the palette stays workable for an amazingly long time, so it's much easier to keep a mixed color consistent over several working days. I've tried water soluble oils & I like these better. In fact I like them so much that I'm thinking right now that I've found my dream paints. I'm working on a portrait of my Dad right now & they are bliss for portraits.

Passage

Having accepted your coin, Grey-bearded Charon is ready to take you across the Styx to the Underworld... not in a sailboat, I admit.

Acrylic on dictionary definition of passage on a vintage book cover: Is This Life all there is? 4x6" Click for a closer look.

Unfortunately you can't see this in the scan, but the title flashes in & out of view depending on the angle of the light. (It was stamped in silver but painted over with thin washes of green, blue & black.)

Last Ride Rides Again!

My attention surplus disorder has kicked in & I can't stop messing with this. It's not exactly finished but this will have to do for now. Since the image is so tall & skinny, it shows up extra small here, so please click to see the details-- that's really what it's all about. That & the flames... inspired by Chris Buzelli & medieval apocalyptic illuminations.

Acrylic on old dictionary text (definition of "surge") on canvas, 6x12".

Oh, I almost forgot to give my tenuous connection to the topic-- this cowboy's soon to be out of a job!

First Peek at Last Ride

I've barely begun work on this one, but again the week has slipped by too quickly. I'm posting just a small detail of the piece-- there is a LOT more to it so please check back in a few days for the finish. I'll leave you to guess what I've had "enough" of.

The full piece is 6x12", acrylic on dictionary text on canvas. This detail is about 2x3".

Lungfish

Believe it or not, this piece was inspired by the IF topic "Foggy"-- but it sort of drifted away from me into an undersea anti-smoking thing. I don't keep very tight reins on my sketchbook, obviously! Once again it's not quite finished but since it's the 11th hour I'm posting it anyway.

Acrylic on text from an old patent medicine handbook (c.1907) on canvas, 6x6".

Pickleface

Above is the tweaked version, below the unfinished state in the original post.

A super-quickie this week because I have too much paying work to do. I may come back & tweak it later, as I rather like the concept.

This is painted over a page from a home-ec textbook published in 1915. Take heed, friends, & avoid pickles when acid is craved. Acrylic on text on canvas, 4x4".

Microcosmos: Flea Circus

We have recently been invaded by a host of extremely bold, fierce & bloodthirsty fleas. They scoff at Frontline & seem to relish both cat & human flesh. I really, really wish they would go away.

This image was inspired by the proverb, "Big fleas have little fleas/ Upon their backs to bite 'em,/ And little fleas have lesser fleas,/ And so ad infinitum. "

I was imagining the dorsal inhabitants of one of our evil companions, & thought it would be funny if a strange little circus populated his back... & a leg or two...

So here you have it. Acrylic on map & text on canvas, 6x6" Click for a detail view-- I needed the magnifier for this one!

NEWS FLASH! This painting will be in the Raleigh, NC. Visual Art Exchange "What's In A Name/Microcosmos" show beginning this Friday. There's an opening event on the 11th, 6-9. If you're in the area, stop by!

FLASHIER NEWS FLASH! The folks at Visual Art Exchange called to tell me that my painting won a prize!

SUPER FLASH! I found out on opening night that it won first place! I guess I should be grateful to those fleas...