"Angst" Cello

This cello was painted for my local school district's orchestra program fundraiser. I have seen many instruments and other items painted for fundraisers and auctions and I definitely didn't want to paint my item in their style. I wanted my cello to be true to my paintings and my style. I didn't want what I term "decorative art".

When I heard the instruments for this year's auction would be cellos I was excited. Most people think of symphony orchestras or string quartets when thinking of cellos. I thought of one of my favorite musical groups, Apocalyptica. This group is a cello quartet from Finland most well known for re-interpreting the music of Metallica. They have a very current, grunge or heavy metal feel to their music.

Since I paint portraits, I chose to paint a black and white portrait of a male with the smudged eyes and small beard seen on many grunge artists. I chose black and white intentionally for impact and contrast. The back of the cello was also painted with a black, white, gray blend. On the back, I added a poem I wrote in college painted in a fire red color. The poem had the same tone as the mood of the piece. I searched the web for an appropriate font for the poem. Once found, I typed the poem in WORD with the font and then drew and painted the poem from the resulting printout. I added metal chain through the peg holes at the top of the arm to add to the character of the piece. I then painted the top of the arm with silver paint and edged the front and the back with silver paint to pull the whole piece together. The sides are solid black. Finally, I sealed the entire piece with acrylic gloss medium to add pop to the contrast and to enhance the colors.

I am happy to say the cello went for the highest bid of any of the cellos in the auction. The winner took home the cello for a steal... $205! The cello is now on display in the orchestra room of the local middle school. The instructor told me he placed it there to inspire the students and to encourage them to think outside the box as I had with my design.

I hope you enjoy the images! Dan

Acuity

ACUITY is a rather new painting of a model I hired when I lived in Toledo, OH. Steven was an incredible model. I oversaw a life drawing session at our gallery and was responsible for finding models. Steven knew how to use his body, how to pose and how to use light to its advantage. This is my second painting of Steven. As I looked through my photos, I was drawn to the intensity of this image. The lighting and the facial expression caught my attention. To start the painting, I did something I have never done before... I mixed metallic gold into my mixed black for the background. It gives the background an interesting quality that I feel enhances the image. This painting is small compared to my recent work. The painting is a 12 x 24 acrylic. Once the painting was completed, I was looking for an appropriate name. I felt that the painting showed an intensity of thought or focus. I settled on Acuity, "a quick and penetrating intelligence." I hope you enjoy the painting.

Thomas - Head On

"Thomas - Head On" was the first large scale portrait in a potential future series entitled "Friends...and Lover". The intent is to paint portraits of friends of mine and a portrait of my partner. This painting is of a former boyfriend of my partner's second cousin. The painting is a 30" x 40" acrylic on canvas. I wanted to capture the softness in his eyes. Thomas is a very sensitive man and I was hoping to capture the sensitivity in the portrait. I learned a lot doing the painting. In the past, I thought of the people in my paintings as nothing more than objects as in my still lifes and landscapes. In this painting, the feelings I wanted to convey weren't coming across and the painting felt quite cold. I started the painting over several times. Then, one weekend, Thomas and Christina came over to visit and, while he was in the other room playing games with her, I could hear his voice, his humor, and his laughter. I connected with who Thomas was and the painting seemed to flow out of me. I completed the entire face from pure white to what you see now in a matter of about three hours. I have started thinking more of the model as a person in my newer portraits and that has made all the difference. This painting has been on display in several group exhibitions.