24 x 24 / oil on canvas / 2008
24 x 24 / oil on canvas / 2008

I’m calling this piece Second Draft. The first time I painted this old Remington (only a few weeks ago) it appeared on a very dark background. Unfamiliar territory. So I fretted and stirred and resolved myself by painting it a second time in more familiar territory. I’m sure I’ll experiment further with other tones in the background but it’s a slow process.

Goodbye 2008. I’m glad to see you go, you miserable year with your dismal news headlines. I plan on hiding in my studio doing the best work I possibly can for 2009. I’m actually optimistic about that.

Saying “Happy New Year” doesn’t feel empty and pointless this year. I really, truly hope it is a Happy New Year.

Comments

  1. Joanne says:

    Happy 2009 to you and your family, Chris. I share your optimism, and look forward to seeing those “best works” you will produce in the New Year!

  3. Colby says:

    wow. Just stumbled upon your images in a google search for “open book”. i really love your work! Your paintings, while inanimate, look as if they are in the middle of a conversation – as if the person is just out of the lens for a moment.

  4. Chris says:

    Thanks, Colby.

    I try to have a certain narrative in the work, very subtle, in which there’s the presence of someone having been or just arriving. Hopefully it’s just a quiet enough of a narrative to just trigger the viewer in a direction. Where they take it is all their own. My goal is to make a scene or setting which a viewer can approach.

    All my work ends up on this blog, including studies and more classic still life work.

    Cheers!

  5. Mike Barr says:

    Hi Chris
    Both backgrounds work and I love the symbolism – so true! I started my journey about 5 years ago.. better late than never
    cheers
    Mike

  6. Jo says:

    Omigosh, your work is absolutely wonderful. I “dabble” in drawing and painting too, and I particularly like colored pencils. I love to draw apples and pears, and when I saw yours, well … they just took my breath away.

    I would love to see more of your work, and I am going to add your blog to my blog list so I can visit you and see your latest work.

    Cheers!

Comments are closed.