Orchid Forest

Growth means change, and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown. - George Shinn

Part of my new collection: "REMEMBER THE ADVENTURE: A Tribute to Mariah Carey"

Spread Your Wings

Spread your wings and prepare to fly, for you have become a butterfly... Mariah Carey

Part of my new collection: "REMEMBER THE ADVENTURE: A Tribute to Mariah Carey"

A Butterfly's Night

When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on, or we will be taught to fly. - Patrick Overton

Part of my new collection: "REMEMBER THE ADVENTURE: A Tribute to Mariah Carey"

Arise

Rise from the dust O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, captive Daughter of Zion. Isaiah 52:2

Over the next few weeks I'll be posting original paintings from my new collection "REMEMBER THE ADVENTURE: A Tribute to Mariah Carey". 'Arise' is only the beginning of what's coming in 2011. I hope you enjoy the journey!

Remember the Adventure.

Pierre

Those things that nature denied to human sight, she revealed to the eyes of the soul. - Ovid

The Advent

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.  - Norman Vincent Peale

Paradise City

"Take me down to the paradise city..." - Guns N' Roses

Golden Thunder

"Thunder only happens when it's raining..." - Stevie Nicks

Kelsey

One joy shatters a hundred griefs. - Chinese Proverb

Beginner's Luck

May you live all the days of your life. - Jonathan Swift

Grace

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face. - John Donne

Early Morning Prayer

The Second Death

Emmy

She sees shooting stars and comet tails
She's got heaven in her eyes
She says I don't need to be an angel
But I'm nothing if I'm not this high
- Counting Crows "Recovering the Satellites"

And just for fun, here's a concept poster for next year's awards:

Jesus and Mariah Carey Studies

These are a couple of small scale 8"x10" studies for larger pieces I'll be working up. I enjoy looking at the values, colors and placement with regards to text early on. I also love the fresh emotive quality of this small scale. Enjoy!

Venus de Milo

There is only one statue that has ever stopped me in my tracks and made me drop my jaw in awe... this is my small tribute to the masterpiece. Sold.

Winged Victory

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt, Sold.

August Bethany

Bear's Letter

If bear could write me a letter, this is what I imagine he'd say:

"Whatever fortune brings, don't be afraid of doing things.” - A.A. Milne

Wise Sheep

Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. Proverbs 8:34

Sweet Pea

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. - Ecclesiates 11:7-8a NIV

Poinsettia

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Psalm 68:5 NIV

Rieszka's Bouquet

I was sold this beautiful bouquet by a Polish lady here in San Francisco named Rieszka. She spoke lovingly of her 93 year old mother who swims every day and we gushed together over the beauty of the city of Krakow. Upon parting I said, "Dziekuje bardzo" (Thank you very much) to which she replied: "Prosze bardzo" (You're welcome very much)...

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. - Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV

Shimmer Lily

You O Lord keep my lamp burning: my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28

Agapanthus Song

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10 AMP

Two Sheep

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all. - Cecil F. Alexander

11"x14" Acrylic on Hardboard.

The Sunflower

One of the best things about paintings is their silence - which prompts reflection and random reverie. - Mark Stevens

Heartfelt Hydrangea

“Then indecision brings its own delays, And days are lost lamenting o'er lost days. Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute; What you can do, or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Harmony

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. - Col. 3:14 NLT

Her Falling Hibiscus

"Like a flower drinking from the falling rain. Or the same rain that could wash it away. Gives it strength. Gives it water. And before you know, another day." - Aaron Neville "With You in Mind"

Strong Hearted Palms

“It is the nature of the strong heart, that like the palm tree it strives ever upwards when it is most burdened.” - Sir Philip Sidney

Jack Johnson

"Set free the imprisoned splendor." - Robert Browning

This is my submission for a recent contest to design the Jack Johnson "To the Sea" world tour poster. I didn't win but sure enjoyed the process! This is an original 16"x20" acrylic painting on hardboard and I set the type overtop digitally in Photoshop.

P.S. This is not meant to be a likeness of Jack Johnson but more of his subconcious. In fact, thanks to my brother-in-law for the likeness!

All You Lovers

Stand up all you lovers in the world. Stand up and be counted every boy and girl. Stand up all you lovers in the world. Starting up a brand new day. - Sting

Original painting now for sale on Etsy.

The Inner Lily

The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody's looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you're misunderstood. - Charles Swindoll

Cherry Blossom Rains

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. - Charles Dickens, Sold.

Monday Study

Sometimes the twenty minute study turns out much better than the painting that took hours and hours. This is a 6"x6" study using acrylic on hardboard and experimenting with garnet gel as a medium.

Jay

This is Jay. He is an actor as well as a model, and recently lost a full head of hair due to his struggle with cancer.

Everyone has a story.

Resolution

Painting Liz at a workshop. Original is 9"x12" acrylic on hardboard.

Daffodil Winds

Daffodils that come before the swallow dares, and takes the winds of March with beauty. - Shakespeare

I've been struck recently how quickly the seasons change, even as I live in a climate that seems to have no seasons. Watching my fresh daffodils grow old, change color and wilt before my eyes over a few days really affected me as I sought to portray time passing in this piece.

Goodbye March, Hello April.

Sold.

Bill Rhea

What do you do when there's a workshop and no model shows up? You paint the faculty!

This is Bill Rhea. Check out some of his art here.

The Sudden

I recently got the opportunity to paint local San Francisco musicians "The Sudden". I enjoyed capturing the spirit of their ambient electronic music and their chemistry in this expressive portrait.

The original is 12"x24" acrylic on plywood.

Check out the music at http://www.myspace.com/thesuddensight

The Daisy Chain

I was intrigued when studying the origins and connotations of daisies as I prepared for this piece. A daisy can signify innocence and purity but also, hidden truth. This concept of transferring hidden secrets from one to another greatly inspired this painting. It is a diptych painted with acrylic on two 6"x6" pieces of hardboard.

A quote that complements this theme: "He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom." Job 12:22

Sold.

The Dance

I took in a workshop last night and this is the fruit. This lady was difficult to capture but full of life and vibrant. I enjoyed the challenge, playing mainly with lost and found edges and not adding vibrant color til the last minute...

The original is 16"x20" acrylic on hardboard. Sold.

Echoing Him

This is a close-up view of a very horizontal blog header I recently painted! It was an interesting design challenge to both leave room for text and match my painting with existing web site colors.

See the full version on www.echoinghim.com.

Spring

"The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them." Isaiah 11:6 MSG

I just found out that one of my former teachers has passed away. This one's for you Eugene!

Sold.

Alice Margaret Scott

I recently completed this personal project, a portrait of my Grandma who passed away last year on my 30th birthday. It's hard to describe in words how much a wonderful person can impact your life, perhaps the painting can do the explaining.

"But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

"Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'" - 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

The original is 24"x30" acrylic on canvas.

Snapdragon Duo

Painted in tandem these two snapdragons beg to be together, even though they come from different worlds.

Originals are 6"x6" acrylic on hardboard and are available for purchase together in my Etsy store: http://su.pr/28Hy03

This Lonely Life

"In my life there's been heartache and pain. I don't know if I can face it again. Can't stop now, I've traveled so far, to change this lonely life. I wanna know what love is. I want you to show me..." - Foreigner (Lyrics by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm)

I was listening to a lot of 80s power ballads when painting this piece. The emotive lyrics of Foreigner really affected me as I thought about the character of each guitar and their interactions.

The original painting (acrylic on hardboard, 11"x14") is for sale and available for licensing. Please contact me if you're interested!