Best Prom Ever! is travelling to Mobile for the month of May. It was accepted into the University of Mobile's Juried Exhibition. We'll miss it but it won't be coming back soon. Off to Tallahassee for the Combined Talents show. Good luck!

Hot 2 Dot

This painting is 7' x 5'. It was part of my MFA thesis show in CA. It was one of the first pieces that I did that was "vintage." I was accused of my paintings looking old in a critique. It wasn't on purpose and it didn't make me mad.... so I embraced it. I visited the Brand bookstore in Burbank, which is one of the largest used bookstores ever. They have a huge food section. This image is from an English cookbook from the 1970s. The book has birthday cakes with kids' names on them except instead of Susie and John (like in the US)- the english cakes say Nigel and Emma. It is somewhat similar to Lemon LeMonde.... I just realized that.

Establishing the Loutopia empire

I am slowly uploading my images to flickr. Here is my artwork photostream.

Lou's flickr

what I preach...

So here is a progression of my fork in Lemon LeMonde. It is hard because it is curved in space and a foot tall. So I have painted it and repainted it. The last one is close but not exactly perfect. I need to work more on the plate below the fork. Many times what is around the object is as important as the object itself- context. I have these evil thoughts about making it up or erasing it. However, the good teacher in me (or so I hope so) starts to nagging at me to labor on. Look at the negative space.... draw around it.... use the grid.... measure... spot...etc. Sometimes practicing what I preach is hard.


The pictures go from bad to ok.







I'll post more soon! School is almost out for summer. Time to paint....

Something is growing in my garden...

Lemon LeMonde Part 1

It is a baby. I just started this last week. The pattern was an idea that I have been working on for awhile. The first version emerged during a loooong LIBA meeting.

Americana-rama!

Here is my lastest painting! I had it photographed at the University Imaging Services- I think they did an amazing job. I had to change from the original... The light fixture wasn't working- it looked like a UFO.

I am working on a new one. Lemon LeMonde is the title. I'll post some pictures soon.

Work in Progress

Here is my current painting. I am in the final stretches with this one. It is the Ultimate America room. I think Elvis would be jealous. I have always been influenced by Graceland. This one reminds me of the Billards room.

I can't decide what to title the work....

1. Political Dinner Party (groan)
2. These colors don't run
3. Patriot's Place

I need a title that is punny. Those titles could be improved upon. Look out for the finished piece.

This painting is a copy of a Heda (Dutch Still Life painter). I did it in December of 2006 for the Old Master class at Tusculum. I really love all the different textures- the porcelain sugar bowl, the oriental carpet, and especially the goblet. I want to know how to drink out of goblet- you could injure yourself.

Juicy Fruit

I wanted to post this image because it reminds of Aspic Fantastic. I finished this almost 5 years ago in grad school. It is on display at the house of the president of CGU in Claremont. I would love to see it again, but at least I have the 4" x 5" transparency.

Closer... but I am not sure if it is done

I worked on the background after Thanksgiving. I think I might have a little more work to do. There is some detail work that doesn't show up in the photo. I think this is the only painting I make in this space. 4' x 4' (the size of Aspic Fantastic) is the biggest I can make in this office/ studio.

Aspic Fantastic (in progress)

a couple more days... I have to work on the striped background and the platter. I think I'll be done before Thanksgiving.

Vending Frustration...

This is a print that I made at Penland this summer. I took a class in the new printmaking studio with Georgia Deal. This print uses chine colle and sintra plate. I took the imagery from a vintage yoga book (I love the thrift store!). The background is a zerox transfer on rice paper that I cut out.

Steve Miller from the letterpress class liked the print so we decided to do a collaboration. He printed "trancing" on the bottom. He made the word up....

I never use the figure in painting, but it shows up often in printmaking.

I want to post a painting in progress. I found this image in a vintage cookbook. I chose it for the graphic stripes and the positively gross gelatin in the back. I also liked the color unity with yellow. My working title is "Aspic Fantastic". I have to finish the aspic, the platter, and the background. The painting is upside down because I like to sit on the floor while I am painting. I just flip the painting around to where I am sitting.