Good to know you're still around : )

Thanks! The beach scene wasn't exactly a commission per say. We've been working on this client's house for the past couple months and when it came to her master bath my wife had a vision of what she thought would work in the space above her tub and that was it. It was a surprise for the client. She loved it and kept it and of course paid for it : )

Yes, the new painting is from a picture I took at the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine. I took a bunch of pictures and want to paint some more of them. I started out wanting to keep it simple and focus on color and shapes and mood and less detail (like your paintings) but I just wasn't satisfied with the results so in came some detail. 

I really like those last few (Eight Left and Headlands Morning & Headlands East) in your gallery. Especially the abstract. Before the Maine painting I started on an abstract (lots of red) and stopped because it wasn't going anywhere. So it's sitting on my easel waiting for the next round of paint and some direction. Haven't had any divine inspiration to go on with it yet...

I do enjoy commission work...maybe because I haven't had anyone not like what I've done...yet : )   I get somewhat anxious doing them but what I've done to fix that is tell the buyer that if they don't like it they don't have to buy it. This applies to anything but portraits or very personally specific paintings for obvious reasons. I can sell abstracts to other customers so it's no big deal if they don't like it. I just got a commission from a customer the other day for an abstract and I'm looking forward to doing it because I haven't done an abstract in the last few paintings. 

You're making me jealous talking about how pretty Ireland is. I haven't been to Europe yet and there's a bunch of places I'm dying to see. 

You know what else I haven't done? Paint on location. It's something I've been wanting to do but I just haven't done it yet. One part of me thinks it would be a hassle bringing what I need (and probably forgetting something in the process). And the other part of me wouldn't want someone watching over my shoulder while I paint. Does that bother you? I don't like when anyone watches me paint or sees a painting not done. I'm probably just being a wuss and should just do it. 

Your mailbox was full so I'm posting here:

I've been wanting to add textural elements to some pieces too. I've got a little stash of odds and ends I've saved. Not sure where to utilize them yet.

Looks like you've been busy again!  Love the new gutsy colors and simple elemental designs.  The titles beg for more explanation, but, perhaps its better left mysterious!

Do let me know how your summer goes, did you work on the new studio? 

i teach 7th and 8th grade....the "aquired taste" group....but i do drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, sculpture, computer art   :)   that is probably why my site has so many different media displayed....i need to focus on only two for myself...