Lately… The last few days… I’ve been painting in a totally different style. Then I occurred to me I’m doing something more like what I did when I was a kid. In Jr. High, and even as early as elementary school, I used to attract a crowd of kids watching me draw. Someone would call out “draw a horse” or “draw a squirrel” and I would. I remember they would ask me questions like “how do you know where to start?”

So lately I’m filling pages with goofy little cartoon animals and people, drawn with a small brush on paper, then watercolored in. Now I know about design elements like “horror vacui” and artists like Marc Chagall. A friend all but accused me of being trite with these. But I don’t care. They are fun. The images here are from my brand new as of tonight “Dog Vacui.” The painting didn’t fit in the scanner, so you are not seeing the whole image. I haven’t counted the dogs in the picture yet, but there are a couple of details to show you what it looks like up close. I did another one of woodland animals that live in this area (Moose, Deer, Bear, Fish, Fox, Bobcat, Owl, Eagle, Raccoon, Otters, Rabbits, Porcupine, seagull, Loon… you get the idea), and another of mostly fish. Anyway, there are 6 or 7 in this style that will be part of the opening on March 3 and 4 (had to get that in again). I would love to hear what you think. And later, I will post some of my more “serious” paintings. Today is a day for fun. And Puppies. 🙂

Most people in my town think of me as a painter. I was actually a photography major in Art School. For several years, I have been photographing Grand Marais, Minnesota, the beautiful town I am lucky enough to live in. My photos have appeared several times in the local newspapers, and also in George Wilkes’ book The Angry Trout Notebook. For the first time, I am going to be exhibiting and selling my photos in the gallery.

The Grand Marais harbor is my favorite location to shoot photos. Every day, the mood of Lake Superior is different. The sky is so moody, and reflected in the water. Sunrise, sunset. Encased in ice or summer sun. Washed in spray, bathed in late afternoon glow or that timeless feeling of crisp blue northern air. The familiar boats I know by name, buildings that have been demolished one way or another, documenting the constantly changing harborscape.

Most people in my town think of me as a painter. I was actually a photography major in Art School. For several years, I have been photographing Grand Marais, Minnesota, the beautiful town I am lucky enough to live in. My photos have appeared several times in the local newspapers, and also in George Wilkes’ book The Angry Trout Notebook. For the first time, I am going to be exhibiting and selling my photos in the gallery.

The Grand Marais harbor is my favorite location to shoot photos. Every day, the mood of Lake Superior is different. The sky is so moody, and reflected in the water. Sunrise, sunset. Encased in ice or summer sun. Washed in spray, bathed in late afternoon glow or that timeless feeling of crisp blue northern air. The familiar boats I know by name, buildings that have been demolished one way or another, documenting the constantly changing harborscape.

President’s Day. I thought I’d post three miscellaneous pictures from the weekend. The first was inspired by watching AMC’s presentation of “The Wolf Man Meets Frankenstein” or something like that. The second abstract image is a mixed media piece with watercolor, acrylic and ink. Lastly, Tumnus the faun at home. Poor guy has an inner struggle going on… Well, enjoy your holiday!

Today is the day Joan is coming from the newspaper to take pictures and interview me. Fun!

President’s Day. I thought I’d post three miscellaneous pictures from the weekend. The first was inspired by watching AMC’s presentation of “The Wolf Man Meets Frankenstein” or something like that. The second abstract image is a mixed media piece with watercolor, acrylic and ink. Lastly, Tumnus the faun at home. Poor guy has an inner struggle going on… Well, enjoy your holiday!

Today is the day Joan is coming from the newspaper to take pictures and interview me. Fun!

Someone said it was 24 below today, so I decided to stay inside and paint. Some flowers to make me feel like spring. An abstract for a sense of fun. And then I had this idea to cover sheets of watercolor paper with faces. I grabbed a kind of big brush and gave myself the challenge to paint small faces with a big brush. After the watercolor dried, I took a small brush and doodled in faces with ink. Then I cut the sheets into 4×6 pieces and will mount the panels onto cardstock. Let me know what you think! Pictured here are 3 examples of about 50 “face fragments.”

Stay warm. Be happy. Think of spring.

Someone said it was 24 below today, so I decided to stay inside and paint. Some flowers to make me feel like spring. An abstract for a sense of fun. And then I had this idea to cover sheets of watercolor paper with faces. I grabbed a kind of big brush and gave myself the challenge to paint small faces with a big brush. After the watercolor dried, I took a small brush and doodled in faces with ink. Then I cut the sheets into 4×6 pieces and will mount the panels onto cardstock. Let me know what you think! Pictured here are 3 examples of about 50 “face fragments.”

Stay warm. Be happy. Think of spring.

In November 2005, Great Northern Gallery hosted a concert by Eric Himan. Eric and Andy Moore played an awesome show at the Old Playhouse aka Betsy Bowen Studio. This “Eric Fragment” is from a painting I did from his show. The initial dream fragments were full size paintings that, for one reason or another, didn’t work for me, so I cut them up. This one illustrates that process quite well, I think. When I ran out of rejected paintings, I started painting sheets of watercolor paper specifically to cut up. At first I thought that seemed a bit contrived, then I realized that every painting is contrived. Hmmm. So there you have it.

If you haven’t heard Eric’s music, please do. His first, Self-titled and now sold out and retired CD, is available on iTunes. I Go On, All For Show, Dark Horse and One Night Stands: Eric Himan live are all available, and are well worth purchasing!

Eric’s song “No Urgency” was featured on LOVE ROCKS, a double CD compilation put out by the Human Rights Campaign. Great music to benefit a great cause. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

In November 2005, Great Northern Gallery hosted a concert by Eric Himan. Eric and Andy Moore played an awesome show at the Old Playhouse aka Betsy Bowen Studio. This “Eric Fragment” is from a painting I did from his show. The initial dream fragments were full size paintings that, for one reason or another, didn’t work for me, so I cut them up. This one illustrates that process quite well, I think. When I ran out of rejected paintings, I started painting sheets of watercolor paper specifically to cut up. At first I thought that seemed a bit contrived, then I realized that every painting is contrived. Hmmm. So there you have it.

If you haven’t heard Eric’s music, please do. His first, Self-titled and now sold out and retired CD, is available on iTunes. I Go On, All For Show, Dark Horse and One Night Stands: Eric Himan live are all available, and are well worth purchasing!

Eric’s song “No Urgency” was featured on LOVE ROCKS, a double CD compilation put out by the Human Rights Campaign. Great music to benefit a great cause. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

I will be having an opening reception in the gallery Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4. Since this is a new blog, I’ll let those of you in cyberspace know that my gallery, the Great Northern Gallery in Grand Marais, MN is housed in a 1948 Great Northern Railway caboose. I’m going to be featuring new paintings, primarily the Dream Fragments, as well as larger watercolor and acrylic paintings on paper, wood and canvas, and my new photo cards. All the card images are mounted on quality cardstock, come with an envelope, of course, and are each enclosed in protective plastic. Photo cards are $3 and the Dream Fragment cards are $5 each. Joan Farnum of the Cook County News Herald will be writing a story to announce this in the paper.