Don't miss out on a chance to see 100+ Fine Craftsmen and Artists!
On Saturday and Sunday October 21st & 22nd all Artisans will have their artwork for sale and on display across the wonderful grounds at Tyler Park Center for the Arts.  Food, music and excitement all sitting at the edge of Tyler State Park for two days only!

My art tent till be up and ready so don't miss your chance to get your hands on your favorite art pieces, because once they sell that's it! All works are original and not reproduced in any way.  I have large paintings and small paintings for sale. I work in acrylic and mixed medias on canvas to create visual and textural abstract works.

Keep your eyes open around town for show cards to receive a discounted entry price ticket!

Don't see any art that you want? Want something more specific? Ask for a commission! I work one on one with you to plan, draft, and complete final commission works that fit the space you are looking to fill. Prices are figured and discussed before work on your painting begins, so there are no surprises. Please keep in mind I am an abstract painter and commissions for artwork otherwise out of my skills will be turned away.

As you might have read in the post before this one, a lot of steps go into the final work being complete for a show. Once all of those steps are completed the work is, even more, carefully wrapped to be protected during its travel (carefully piled into my van). This is a strategic process because once you spend all the time creating a final piece you DO NOT want to go back in for touch ups every time, if ever. What I have now mastered is the art of packaging and placing around my studio (currently my bedroom) so that it can be timely placed into the van. This also helps me keep the items that must enter the van first to be first on the list to grab.

 Not all of my shows have been local so I have to be sure that I follow a strict packing plan to protect the canvas. If not properly placed the canvas will stretch. To avoid this I use a very simple method that's called "front to front, back to back."  In this method of packing I take paintings similar in size and place the back against the wall of the van. I then take the second painting and place the front of it to the front of the first painting (now these two paintings have their face touching). However keep in mind the front faces of the paintings are still covered  so the paint, if temperature is bad, wont stick to the other one.  Now I take a third painting and place the back of it against the back of painting number two.  I repeat this process making sure I move from largest to smallest in painting size. You ALWAYS want to be sure that when a painting is against the other one that the frames(or stretcher bars) are touching on at least two sides. If the frames are touching then the pressure will rest there and not on a section of canvas where it could push and stretch.

If you are unable to get two sides(MIN), of your stretcher bars/frames, to touch then you may want to get a thick piece of cardboard or any board to place in between.  After all of that you can now carefully place all of your boxed work in and around it.  Be sure to keep things tucked in and close together so that when you make turns and stops there is no wiggle room for things to slide around. This is not only dangerous for the art but will send your blood pressure through the roof worrying about the art with each bump in the road.  Now its packed and its all ready to go to a show for tent set up!

When painting abstract works I am always asked "how do you know when it's done?"  This is always a tough question to answer as every piece I create is different.  However I have a bit of a method to my madness.  As I have explained my process before in a previous post I create in stages but this doesn't always mean it makes the decision easier.

One step I take to help create pieces is by working on more than one at a time. I am always painting multiple canvases at once. This helps me to stop and switch gears and take my eyes off of a canvas and onto another one. I find I have an easier time deciphering what needs to happen next. It's like "stepping away" from a piece to then look at it again with fresh eyes. I find I work at a better pace this way, instead of staring at one canvas waiting for it to tell me what to do next.  

I then paint, working on multiples at a time, until I am ready to stop for the day.  I always leave them all sit where they lay and wait to give them a final look the next day. On a fresh day I then look at all of them again and this time with new eyes! Looking at all the paintings I begin to make two piles; a "done" pile and a "needs-more-work" pile. The "needs-more-work" pile gets another round of paint time or in some cases even several. The "done" pile moves to the final stages.

Now its time to complete it. I make sure that all my edges are painted and clean looking so that the owner can hang it directly on the wall with no frame. I add a signature and a picture frame wire for displaying it on a wall. Finally it gets a good coat, or two, of a varnish and now its ready to be logged into my records and portfolio. A price is given and its wrapped to be taken to a show!

When creating my abstract paintings I have a process for curating the colors I  apply on the final canvas.  I find these hues by searching around my daily landscape looking for color combinations that satisfy my eye.  From here I tend to naturally saturate these colors as I paint; first in small watercolor sketches.  I then reference these sketches as I create the completed painting,  During this final process I add in textures to create another dimension to my work.  I enjoy my work resolving in a visual as well as a tactile experience.

All Paintings will be for sale! New abstract works will be added to the show. Be sure not to miss out. All works are original and no copies or reproductions are made, once gone new works are created so that no two paintings are a like. Above is a close up image of a new abstract work in progress.

The Bluegrass Festival went well!  I can't wait to get back into the studio and create more paintings for the next show.  

Stay up to date with what is happening next!

 JULY 15th and 16th Peddlers Village, Lahaska PA -Bluegrass and Blueberries
AUGUST 19th and 20th Mount Gretna, Lebanon PA -Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show
OCTOBER 21st and 22nd Tyler Park Center for the Arts, Richboro PA - Crafts in the Meadows