I finally finished this painting. I started it about two years ago and I didn't know what to do with it so I put it in storage. I was looking at it wondering if I'll ever figure out what to do with it.  It's from a photo-collage, but the photo didn't help me either.  So I just started staring at it and answers started popping up as I looked at it more and more.  Then I started working on it again and it came to a finalization finally.

This is a new piece that I sent to Kutztown PA for the annual Invitational Salon of Small Works. I used premeditated colors for the piece, but it still turned out different than I expected.  Many things can spark my inspiration for a piece and then I have to figure in other things such as time limitations or deadlines.  I chose this house for its simplicity and then I decided that I was going to make the painting in reds, whites, greys and black.

This painting is not recent. I have always been interested in drawing and painting trees. I like the way the branches grow and twist around as they move through space.  I want to document this painting because its in bad shape.  Unfortunately it has cracked badly and will not last too long.

Robert Indiana was the inspiration for this piece along with my interest in using words in artwork.  I wanted to create my own version of the word.  This painting has opened up a whole new wave of ideas pouring in on top of all the other ideas that I still have to get to.  My sketchbook is multiplying like rabbits and my time to paint all the ideas I have is shrinking.  I realize that the bigger my sketchbook gets that I will not possibly get to all my ideas alone.

I was accepted into the Summit Artspace photography show called "24" which celebrates the 24 Akron neighborhoods.  The photo that I submitted was in the Highland Neighborhood.  The opening for the show is Friday, April 13th and for more information on their website: https://www.summitartspace.org/summit-artspace-gallery/

Giving my paintings names is a job in itself.  Just calling it "untitled" is a bad idea for me because it would create a lot of confusion when talking about a specific piece. I would have to sit there and describe it in many sentences whereas a title gets right to the point.  In fact, some of my titles include a description of one of the aspects of the painting such as "purple sky" or "yellow roof". The title of this painting is "Dusk"..  This painting will be for sale at the 25th Annual ART-tini Auction benefit at Harris Stanton Gallery in Akron from April 5th to April 12th.  More info at:  www.HarrisStantonGallery.com