Cayucos No. 41

This one started out with a slightly different idea in mind but after letting it sit inactive on the work table for a few months this is how it ended up. I usually don’t varnish my paintings but decided to do so with this one to help punch up the colors. Instead of using square panels like I normally do I chose to use 11 x 14-inch panels for this two panel bolted together painting.

I used yellow FROGTAPE (for delicate surfaces) to mask off areas where I wanted to spread paint over and I used scrap paper to blot areas of paint after it was applied to achieve some visual texture. I use discarded plastic gift cards to spread paint. I use a couple of old dilapidated foam sanding blocks to smooth and buff the paint.

I used sixteen color mixes on this one most of which are original as they came from the DIY store with a few that I custom mixed using some of those original colors.

Latex acrylic paint on cradled wood panels bolted together | 11 x 28 x 1.5 inches (28 x 71 x 3.8 cm) | October 2023

The two 11 x 14-inch panels ready to be fastened together.

Two .25-inch diameter 2-inch long bolts were inserted through .25-inch diameter holes and the panels bolded together with lock nuts.

Not a real storm. It just might look like it.

I based a small painting on one of the drawings in the Small Studies Project. Here is how it turned out.

From the Small Studies Project drawing 92 | Graphite and Lyra Water-soluble crayon on 5 x 7-inch Bristol Paper | 2012

Small Studies Painting 92 | Acrylic and paper on wood panel | 4.5 x 4.5 x 1.75 inches (11 x 11 x 4.5 cm) | 2020

Cayucos No. 11: digital & acrylic

Here is a look at digital and acrylic versions of the same painting.

Cayucos No. 11 | 2020 | 3000 x 3000 px | Infinite Painter 6 | Galaxy Tab S7 tablet

Cayucos No. 11 | Acrylic on cradle wood panel | 16.5 x 16.5 inches (42 x 42 cm) | February 2021

Wire work

Back in 2010 I came up with this idea to use heavy electrical cable and wires I got from a local DIY store to make a design on a painted wood panel. The wood is 3/4 inch plywood. I made a template using Inkscape and attached it to the surface of the panel and used it to drill accurately placed holes for the red plastic coated wires to go through. The stick at the bottom and the pointed piece in the center of the spiral are made from twigs after the bark was removed and sanded smooth. The yellow, green, and blue paint is left over acrylic house paint I used for another project.

Retire Spiral

Acrylic paint on panel, wire, wood
19.75 x 14 x 1.5 inches (50 x 35.5 x 3.8 cm)
2010

Close up of the pointed end in the center of the spiral. I used small nails to attach it in place.

Detail showing how the stick transitions to the cable.

The stick transitioning from green to yellow.

The back of the piece showing the signature and how the wires on the front were attached.

Close up of the red wires that hold the thick cable on the front and the black wires that hold the stick in place.

8-ball yo yo

I had been reading about Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, and Kenneth Noland and wanted to see what would happen when I watered down some acrylic house paint and poured it over the surface of a small panel. I came up with this piece and decided to put some kind 8-ball in it and ended up with an 8-ball yo yo. The yo yo is made from two wooden wheels I got from the craft store. The 8 in the white circle is made using the paint transfer technique I often use with the titles.

It was a magical descent into the abyss of disposable 8-ball yo-yos.

Acrylic paint, wood, linen string
10 x 10 x 1.5 inches (25.4 x 25.4 x 3.8 cm)
July 2023

If I had the studio space I would consider this small piece a maquette and do a 100 x 100-inch version with a 20 x 20-inch 8-ball yo yo hanging from it. As the song says “It doesn't cost a dime to dream.”

The title pieces are printed backward. I will coat this printed side with paint and place it painted side down on the art. After the paint is completely dry I will put water on the paper to soften it so it can be rubbed off revealing the type underneath which is no right reading.

On the reverse side of the title bar I pencil in an arrow to mark the center of the title and make sure the title is not upside down when I stick it to the art.

Phillips Gallery: Winter Group Show

The Winter Group Show opens this evening at the Phillips Gallery 444 E 200 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. I have five small paintings from the Cayucos series in this show. Stop in and see them up close along with some great art by other artists represented by the Phillips Gallery.

Cayucos No. 23
Acrylic paint on cradled wood panel
10 x 10 inches (25.4 x 25.4 cm)
2021

Cayucos No. 30
Acrylic paint on cradled wood panel
10 x 10 inches (25.4 x 25.4 cm)
2022

Cayucos No. 32
Acrylic paint on cradled wood panel
10 x 10 inches (25.4 x 25.4 cm)
2022

Cayucos No. 33
Acrylic paint on cradled wood panel
10 x 10 inches (25.4 x 25.4 cm)
2022

Cayucos No. 35
Acrylic paint on cradled wood panel
10 x 10 inches (25.4 x 25.4 cm)
2022

The Cayucos Tiles Panels

During 2021 I created a few Cayucos Tile pieces. Here are two images of the same Cayucos Tiles No. 2 panel. The first image shows how I divided the panel into sections using green lines to illustrate.

I made an outline drawing in Inkscape that I used for measuring the various tiles for the panel. The green lines show the shapes of the individual tiles. I cut each shape from tissue paper then painted each piece of paper with multiple layers of paint using paper stencils and plastic cards to mask and spread the paint. After the painted tiles were dry I brushed thinned wood glue on the back of each tile and adhered each one to the panel starting at the top left corner working across and down to lower right corner. I used a rubber brayer to smooth and press each tile in place. After the glued tiles were set I removed any over hanging edges with a sanding block and stamped my signature mark in the lower right corner with metal letter punches. To finish the panel I brushed a couple of coats of UV varnish to help protect the surface.

An unobstructed view of the 12 x 12 inch panel. I also added my signature with the title, location and date on the back of the panel with a pencil, sometimes with a pen.

A closeup showing the texture of the paint and wrinkles of the paper.

Small painting inspired by a bigger place

For the moment I’m continuing with my Cayucos series of small 10 x 10 inch paintings on cradled wood panels. This size of painting fits the size of my studio space. I’m toying with the idea of attaching some of the small panels to together to make a larger painting. We shall see. Here is one I just completed this morning.

The title for these painting comes from the small community of the same name in San Luis Obispo county on the California Central Coast. Although the climate can be foggy and misty and not always sunny and bright these paintings are abstractions of the feelings I get when I think of times spent in Cayucos and surrounding area. Someone once told me that “A bad day at the beach is better than a good day at work.”

Cayucos No. 29, Acrylic on cradled wood panel, 10 x 10 inches (25.4 x 25.4 cm), November 2021

Painted Paper Pulloffs

I wanted to try a different technique to create the Rock. I cut smaller shapes from the larger Rock shape then I painted the reverse side of a piece and quickly laid the piece on the surface and lightly tapped it down then pulled it off before it could dry. I added more paint to the pulled off piece and laid it back down. This gave me a mottled and uneven texture. The paint is a blend of gray blue, white, and a little black acrylic paint.

To see the finished painting click here to go to the recent works page.

Starting something new for a new year

I’ve started working with newspaper that has been painted with Behr interior/exterior paint which I then use to cut shapes out of. I glue the pieces of cut paper to a paper support using YES Paste and acrylic paint. I actually started moving in this direction in December 2020 and finished the first work the last day of 2020.

A stack of newspaper that has been painted with Behr Interior/Exterior paint. I used an old plastic gift card to spread the paint.

A piece of painted newspaper pasted to a piece of stiff Alexis Bristol paper. This will be the background of a piece shown in the following image. “YES Paste” was applied to the back of the color paper using a plastic gift card to get a smooth coating.

A nearly finished piece waiting for a title.

A bit more work to do on current work in progress that is almost finished. I have been using wax paper to lay down on the freshly pasted shapes and then use a brayer to press the pieces flat.

Tissue Paper Painting Progress

I’m working on “2 fer 1 No. 3” and here are some progress pictures. The pieces of tissue paper are drying before being glued to the panel.

Sections of painted tissue paper waiting to dry.

The panel has been marked and is ready for the painted tissue paper pieces to be glued to it.

2 fer 1 No. 1

I finished my first 2 fer 1 work this evening. It is meant to be displayed on a flat surface so each side can be viewed. For example it could even be displayed on a desk, shelf or fireplace mantle and flipped around now and then to change the view to add variety to an atmosphere.

One side is an abstract tissue paper painting created with pieces of acrylic painted tissue paper glued to MDF panel then gloss varnished. The flip side is an assemblage created with wood, acrylic paint, plaster and part of a twig. It is signed and dated on the bottom and initialed and dated on one of the sides using metal letter punches.

Tissue paper painting side.

Assemblage side with title.