I'm surprised I haven't posted this! New art

I was sure I had posted this but I guess maybe I only sent it to Facebook.  This piece that started as an abstract and ended up something else.  I framed it yesterday and it looks really nice with a black mat and gold leaf wood frame.

Buddha in the Garden.  Pencil, charcoal, acrylic, maybe a bit of oil pastel on watercolor paper.  14 x 16

Ack! I haven't posted in ages! A new piece for the Carrboro Art Project

I finally got around to making a piece for the Carrboro Community Art Project.  This a mostly oil pastel taken from a photo I took one day during the Thursday Weaver Street Music series.  The guy had a great knit cap over his very long hair and a very cool shirt.  I took liberties of course.

Music at the Weave.  Oil pastel on black artist grade sandpaper.  About 12" x 18"

Quick post before my flight

I'm off to ATL for a few days but I finished something this weekend.  So before I head out...

Jacqueline (based on a Man Ray photo.)    Pencil, charcoal, conte pencil, acrylic on watercolor paper

Back to abstract....

I've wanted to get back into abstracts lately but I was stuck. Nothing seemed to work. I broke down and bought a book by Rolina van Vliet called "Painting Abstracts: Ideas, Projects and Techniques."  Generally I'm cheap -- by spending $$ on a book I effectively forced myself to try some new abstracts.  (FWIW, the same technique, in this case paying for 3 months at the gym, seems to be working!)  Both are acrylic on 12 x 16 canvas board.

Ahh!!

I reconnected with a dear friend through the ubiquitous social media. He asked about my latest show and said he checked my blog/website often. Of course that suggests a fairly boring experience because I have been less than active in posting new pieces, ideas, things that interest me and the like.

His comments hit home. One of the things I am working on in my life in general is the need to throw perfectionism out the window. For whatever reason (ask my therapist) I have allowed perfectionism to fence me in, to stifle what I do and inhibit free expression within my work, relationships and art. I've actually made progress in this area but I'm not so sure it is seen in my art.  Perhaps it is in my recent photography. (Digital photography is so liberating in its costlessness.)

In other words I don't have too much to show right now, partially because I haven't taken any photos of what I've completed or been working on lately.  Here goes.

Tall Nude.  Acrylic, ink and charcoal on canvas

Four Woodcuts Based on Man Ray.  Woodcuts with ink and acrylics.

Woman in Ecstasy #1 of 3.  Acrylics, pencil, charcoal on paper