I have new paintings at the Palm Springs Modernism Show.
A set of new camera pieces will be on display from February 14-17.
New Paintings in Palm Springs
From exhibitions
A Garden of Stories at Robert Lange Studios
I have the pleasure of participating in the 20th anniversary exhibition at Robert Lange Studios in Charleston, South Carolina. The exhibition will be on display all of November 2024.
Over the years, I have sent many paintings to inspiring group exhibitions curated by the gallery’s crew. I was happy to be asked to participate again in this milestone show.
My wife and I are increasingly interested in tending to our garden, so I created this to celebrate what I see as an increasing hobby for our future. The books featured are Victorian-era garden books.
Good Society
My family took the dogs for a walk, and when we rounded the corner to another block, I spotted this shabby old chair on a driveway with a sign saying “FREE.” I knew I could make it work in a painting or two the second I saw it. So, I told my family to go on without me as I lugged the old chair back home.
I set it up in my studio and took out several antique books. And three of them were just given to me by my brother-in-law. A set of three volumes titled “Good Society.” I like that these two paintings are comprised of found and given objects.
The Billis Williams Gallery will exhibit these two new paintings at the upcoming Seattle Art Fair, which will run from July 25 to 28.
A Quick Trip to Los Angeles
I have returned from a whirlwind trip to Los Angeles to attend the opening reception of my current solo exhibition at the Billis Williams Gallery.
I went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where I saw an exhibition called “The World Made Wonderous,” showcasing 17th-century Dutch collections, including many paintings from which I draw direct influence. I won’t get too nerdy here, but I was entirely in my element and wandered through the gallery twice to absorb as much as possible.
Then, it was off to the gallery for the reception, where I met and talked with artists, collectors, and curious gallerygoers. The conversations I have during the receptions are always so encouraging. The best part is connecting with Tressa Williams, principal director of the gallery, who has shown my work for thirteen years. The key to any artist’s success is having a team of enthusiastic people who share your work with the world — that is precisely what Tressa does.
Recent Clock Paintings
These two pieces will be part of my upcoming exhibition in Los Angeles at the Billis Williams Gallery, opening on February 24th.
My last exhibition in New York involved many large paintings, so this time around, I decided to work on a slightly smaller group of canvases.
Also, the black. Let’s talk about it. Years and years ago, I regularly set my work on deep black ground. I gradually phased that out and worked exclusively on white — or near-white grounds. In the past few years, I have done smaller paintings in black; it revealed my subject in a fresh and new way. So, above is the first of a slightly larger painting of what will become a new direction for my work.
Below, we have a neutral grey approach. Another way to make the subjects pop right off of the canvas.
Upcoming Los Angeles Exhibition
At the end of February, we will see the opening of an exhibition of my latest paintings in Los Angeles at the Billis Williams Gallery. I have been working on tiny details for months now.
The subjects will be familiar to anyone who has seen my work before. Perhaps this time, you will catch new groupings of subjects with more contrast and depth in the lighting.
In a word, the theme of this body of work would be Memory.
I will share more of the new paintings in the coming weeks.
Florida Art Fair
New work has just arrived in Miami for the upcoming art fair season. I sent two new bubble gum paintings to be shown with the George Billis Gallery. The Red Dot Fair runs from December 6–10.
Who doesn’t love a big colourful bubblegum machine?
And so again, I have entered the quiet, busy painting phase as I work toward an upcoming exhibition in Los Angeles for late February 2024.
Off to New York City
Everything is framed and shipped to the George Billis Gallery. As I write this, many paintings are in transit, somewhere in the middle of the continent and scheduled to arrive at the gallery in New York on Monday morning.
When the paintings are in transit, I suffer from mild anxiety. It has happened a few times when the heavy-duty packaging has arrived damaged, and I dread to think of how it happens. But 9 times out of 10, everything goes as expected.
The show goes up on the gallery walls on October 3, and the reception is on Thursday, October 5, from 6pm – 8pm.
The Key Series
I just completed a series of three paintings for my upcoming exhibition in New York City. Three birds-eye view typewriters.
I love painting the mechanical components of the machines.
There will always be something charming and delightful in typewriters. Each piece is 2 feet tall and three feet wide. The typewriters are all depicted as life-size. My goal with these paintings is to have a viewer almost get a sense of being able to touch and use the typewriters.
When I start each painting, it never fails that I end up slightly overwhelmed at the number of keys I’ve locked myself into painting. I once told someone that my ability to sit quietly and do something as tedious as painting 150 tiny circles and squares is probably the key to why I can paint as much as I do.
New Work for New York
I have been working in the studio every day for the past three months. Well, I did take four days off to visit with family, but I made up for lost time by working in the evenings because I have an upcoming exhibition in New York City with the George Billis Gallery. The show goes up on October 3, and I have just sent the first batch off to the framers. I’m down to the wire finishing up the last few pieces before I can officially relax and come up for air.
In a few weeks, I’ll share the new paintings. This one here won’t be part of the show. It’s already on its way to a collector in New Jersey, as it was sold before it even went to the gallery.
