Now the painting is complete. The addition of red has completed this large and complex image. Red is a hue that has mesmerized artists since the Upper Paleolithic time when red ochres where applied to the walls of ancient, mysterious caves. 
My Mom's hands, tell as much about her as her face. 
Twice a month I meet with a group of artists to spend 3 wonderful hours drawing the figure. The quick snap shots that you see here show my son posing in his fencing uniform. We thought it would be an interesting change to draw a clothed figure wearing an intersting outfit. Here you can see some of my completed oil paintings and my most recent series in the early stages of painting.
This is my Mom, Maggie, modeling for me in my studio. I painted this in two sittings totaling about 2 hours. This simple statement I soon developed into a larger painting which has to do with women and war. This is a topic that is prevelant in my work and will always emerge in varous forms throughout my life and art.
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During the month of February I will show my latest painting "The Sergeant Major's Wife, 1918-2008". This is a 4 panel oil on canvas painting measuring 48" high and 86" in wide. I painted this in less than a month. There was was a deadline for completion, but I also had to paint this fast in order to capture the intuitive quality that a subject of such importance engenders. The inspiration for this work came after I painted my Mom's portrait from life, while she modeled in my studio. Working from old, faded and out of focus family photgraphs I developed these almost life size figures into vibrant color.
Continuing with works that reflect my travels, I have been working on another 40" x 60" oil on canvas painting. This new painting depicts a used book sale under the pedestrian bridge along the Thames River near the Tate Modern Museum in London. My daughter had enjoyed an afternoon at the Museum. We happened upon a book sale while walking back to our hotel. This painting is nearly complete. Working out the complexity of the image has been very challenging. I have really enjoyed the process of developing the illusion of deep space and resolving relationships between the figures from the foreground to background. The feeling of calm and quiet present in this moment, in the midst of a bustling city like London, is an experience that I will always remember.
