New Mixed Media Assemblage

The violin and frame in this peice are actually gifts from friends who knew I would find a creative us for them. I do like the white violin on the the blue and black canvas. The deep thalo/ ultramarine blue reflects onto the vilolin in an interesting way. I was thinking in terms of a Dada like interpretation where the object is what it is, but it no longer fullfills it's previous function. I was also thinking in terms of the cool sounds violins produce.

Algonquin/ Lake in the HIlls Fire Department Mural 6' x 12' oil on canvas

I finally have a new photograph of the mural I painted for the Fire Dpt.. The installation was held 2000 at the old Fire Department building in Algonquin. The community has grown tremedously in since the installaion so the Fire Dpt. built a huge state of the art building. The mural was moved to the new space within the huge atrium entrance in 2005. This mural was my first large format painting and the most complex. The mural represents the history of the Algonquin/ LITH Fire Dept. from about 1935 until 2000. I worked with over 75 photographs that depicted the history of the Dpt. I developed a timeline with various images. There have been some significant changes during the Dpt.'s history. During the time I was painting the mural the Rescue/Ambulance service were added. You will find this on right section of the composition. The first full-time woman fire fighter is also included in the Dpt. just before I completed the mural, and you will find her on the right panel.

I enjoy working with complex images and building compositons that provide a narrative. There is a tremedous amount of processing involved when working without projectors or computers while developing the final design. I find it very rewarding to bring life to a painting and enrich the world with my artwork.