The Life Is In the Blood - 32" x 38" x 1.5" - Acrylic on hollow door panel - $525.00

Blood cells, veins and cappilaries...  The "LIFE" is in the blood.  Blood cells carry oxygen to the body and ultimately CO2 and other wastes from the body.  Blood, if you really think about it, is simply a transport mechanism.  Without it we die for it carries in it what we need for life.  The Bible even makes a statement about our blood:  Le 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood:  This speaks of course to human life but when we take a look at this concept with spiritual eyes, it becomes pretty easy to see a parallel story line.  If we want to have "spiritual life" then we can also find that in the blood.  Not in our own blood however, but in the precious blood of Jesus!   His blood washes our sins away and replaces them with His own Righteousness.  Now that is a blood transfusion!

Stratospheric Anomoly - 24" x 31" x 1.5" - Arcylic on hollow door panel - $325.00 SOLD

There is not a lot to say about this painting other than it was an experiment with color juxtipostions and using a wet on wet technique to bring to mind cloud formations.  I also use a paint removal process to expose the red beneath the greens...  It ended up looking like a view of a weird purple lake from an airplane at about 30,000 feet!   I will say, that this piece is much richer looking in person that it looks in this photo.  I will keep experimenting...  You never know what might happen next.

Into the Shallows - 9 x 36 x 1.5 - Acrylic on Hollow Door Panel - $165

After fishing all day and catching almost nothing we headed back to the boat ramp about 10 pm...  There was a bright yellow spotlight hitting the water and as we pulled the boat up the ramp I went over to make one last effort before heading home.  As I approched the shore I started seeing dark shapes moving in the water and soon realized that they were walleye searching the shallows near the shoreline for shad.  I stayed there for almost two hours watching the fish; sometimes close enought to the shore that I could have scooped them out with a dip net!  (not allowed by law...) Some of them were nearly three feet long and they paid absolutely no attention to me at all.  I ended up catching only 2 (by accident I am sure) but getting to see them so close up was a real treat for this nature lover.  About a week later I started an automatic or expressive painting and this is what emerged.  As the painting was only 9 inches tall and fish shapes were emerging; I thought back to that night and the fish in shallow water...

Beneath the Thermocline - 34 x 36 x 1.5 - Acrylic on hollow door panel - $525

This last summer I started fishing again for the first time in about twelve years and I had a blast.  It all started with the white bass in the spring and I fished a lot in the rivers heading into nearby Stockton lake at that time.  In early Summer we would fish the lake and stay near the shoreline and around cover.  By mid June it started getting harder and harder to find the fish as they started going deeper in search of cooler water.  One day I was fishing near a bridge in a really great boat (not mine, i do not have a boat) with a state of the art fish finder. I noticed that for the first 20 feet or so of water, that there were barely any fish at all but below the 20 foot mark they were just thick.  I didn't catch many fish that day but it did inspired this painting so all ended well!

"THREE" - Acrylic and mixed media on wood panel - 12" x 20" x 1.75" - SOLD

This is one of the very few "collage" pieces that I have ever made.  The work itself is not extraordinary to me but the concept is.  It was about 20 years ago when I was reading my Bible as a new Christian, that I discovered Gen 1:26 for the first time.  In this verse God speaks and says a very profound thing.  He says:  "Let US make man in OUR own image, after OUR likeness..." 

I was simply blown away by this passage, I had never thought of God in the plural sense before. Soon, after much conversation and study, I came to realize that God was speaking of the three parts of the Godhead; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This led to the realization that I was also a three part being, having a body, a soul and a spirit. Further investigation led me to an almost unbelievable conclusion; ALL of Gods creation is immersed and contained in the number three!!  Here is a list of examples for you to think about:

 

Time = past, present and future. (1-2-3...)

 

Space = is measured in height, width and depth.

 

Matter =  solid, liquid gas

 

Creation = animal, vegetable and mineral

 

Reality = space, matter and time

 

Electricity = positive, negative and neutral

 

Atoms = protons, neutrons and electrons

 

Colors = All colors are mixed from the three primary colors RED, YELLOW and BLUE

 

I could go on and on...  Blood is made up of red cells, white cells and platelets.  Even electromagnetic energy is considered to have three variables which are frequency, wave length and energy.  You yourself, where ever you are, have descended from the THREE children of Noah; Shem, Ham and Japheth...  Why is this concept so important?  It is perhaps one of the greatest, if not the greatest argument to establish intelligent design (GOD) over evolution (NO GOD).

"Tranquility" - 24" x 24" x 1.5" - Acrylic on door panel - $225.00 SOLD

This little gem is hanging in the second floor gallery at Springfield Brewing Company down on Market and Walnut in Springfield, MO.  This is perhaps the most simplistic painting I have ever created but my wife just loves it.  Perhaps there really is something to the old adage "less is more."  At least three people have commented that it reminds them of islands.  I of course was thinking "nebula" but...  who am I to tell anyone what to see in art even if it is my own.  The eye sees what the eye sees and the heart wants what the heart wants.  My heart seeks peace, calmness and a certain tranquility.  There is another old saying and it goes like this:   "No God, no peace - Know God, know peace....."

Think about it....

"Dark Matter" - 24" x 24" x 1.5" - Acrylic on door panel - $225.00 SOLD

This is a small piece from a series of paintings in which I am experimenting with a wet on wet technique.  There is something very organic about the ways colors blend into each other and I am very drawn to these effects.  In this painting I imagine cluster after cluster of galaxies filling the universe with only the blackness of space between them.  Apparently, to scientists,  this so called "empty space" is not empty at all but is made up of a combination of dark matter and dark energy.  They say that over the life of the universe that 75% of dark matter has converted to dark energy and that this "stuff" (that cannot be seen or proven to exist) is now causing the universe to expand faster.  To me this is yet another example of how God works.  You cannot see him and yet His effects can be measured in our lives.  We cannot feel his Spirit physically yet we experience the effects of His love and grace every single day!  If science can have faith in an invisible source of matter and energy that causes an effect over the entire universe, then why is it so strange for me to have faith in God?

"R2BA" - 32" x 38" x 1.5" - Acrylic on door panel - $625.00 (SOLD!)

Yes I know that this painting might be a little controversial (which is why it sold so quickly, note to self...) but hopefully a few kind words can ease any strife.  The title R2BA stands for right to bear arms...  This is my "second amendment painting" and third in my series on social commentary.  Yes I am a supporter of the second amendment but I am not a criminal, nor am I a hate monger.  I will not live in fear...  God does not want me to live in fear as is stated in this verse:

 2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

In order to not live in fear we must be prepared, we must be empowered, we must have wisdom and most of all we must live in the love of God.  I honestly despise war, however I know that freedom comes with a price.  I hate the idea of doing violence to anyone, however I would if I had to protect myself or my family.  Please God, protect me from the evil in this world so that I never have to raise my hand against another; and thank you Lord for giving me courage and strength in the event that I must.  Amen

"Cradle of Creation" - 30" x 34" x 1.5" - Acrylic on hollow door panel - $425 SOLD

One of the greatest things about the universe is that almost all matter, aside from hydrogen and helium, was formed in the heart of a star.  Carbon, iron, gold...  All formed under great pressure, with great heat and over a very long period of time.  When the star dies it undergoes an event called a super nova and it explodes with great energy.  This explosion (as I understand it...) scatters this mixture of elements out into space where it forms a giant cloud of gas and dust.  Eventually these gases and dust particles come together and a new solar system is born.  Every atom in our body was once contained within a star.  That is just an incredible thought to me and to understand this is to understand how everything is connected.  Our sun is the source of all energy upon the earth and it sustains us.  I cannot help but think of how all that I am and all that I have has come from God.  He is the creator of all things, even the stars that created the elements.  He creates, He sustains, He loves, He provides for all of my needs.  What a tremedous Blessing that is!!

 Php 4:19 But my God shall supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

"Jacobs Ladder" - 38" x 24" x 1.5" - Acrylic on hollow door panel - $425

 

Before you start thinking about this painting as a piece of space art you should read on.  Yes I am a big space fan this is true, but years ago I worked in the nuclear industry and was a chemist on a nuclear submarine.  Needless to say I had to know something about the sub-atomic world and all of its protons, neutrons, electrons, quarks, neutrinos and the associated math and physics that ties it all together.  Did you know that science cannot explain what holds the nucleus of an atom together.  Oh they have a name for it alright, they call it the strong nuclear force, but the truth is that they have no idea what that force is or how it works.  When I was in Nuclear Power School my instructor simply called it the God force.  I never thought much about it until about 10 years later when I was reading my Bible one day.  I was in the first chapter of Colossians and here is what I read:

 

 Col 1:16 For by him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

I paused and sat there looking at the word consist.  I finally admitted to myself that I didn't understand what it meant in that context and went to the dictionary.  Here is what the dictionary said:

 

1. To stand together; to be in a fixed or permanent state, as a body composed of parts in union or connection. Hence, to be; to exist; to subsist; to be supported and maintained.

 

I was stunned for in my mind here was the answer to one of the greatest scientific conundrums in history.  The creative and sustaining force of Jesus Christ holds the atoms together!  The scientific community simply refuses to see this because it would mean that God has to exist and that would be a real problem for them.  This verse served to increase my faith and I hope that if you are reading this it will increase your faith as well.

 

"Melody of Creation" - 36" x 65" x 1.5" - Acrylic on hollow door panel - $925.00 SOLD

This larger painting needs to be viewed up close and in good lighting!  The texture and colors merge to create some very intricate and detailed surfaces that cannot readily be seen in this photograph.  Hmm...  that reminds me that sometimes we need to take a closer look at the people in our lives so we can truly understand them instead of cramming them into the mold of who we think they are...  just saying...   Anyway, this painting is yet another piece inspired by shows such as "The Universe", "How the Universe Works" or "Through the Wormhole".  I really enjoy watching and listening as scientists try to explain the creation of the Universe without God.  I mean really...   First there was nothing, then there was a bang and something appeared and over 13.7 billion years this nothing expanded to form our current universe and this all happened by accident!  That is one incredible accident!  Then all of this STUFF started to coalesce into suns and solar systems and galaxies all by the work of gravity/accretion.  The more of these shows that I watch (and I watch a lot of them thanks to the wonders of DVR...) the more I see that gravity is the god of most Cosmologists.  For me it is much easier to simply believe that God said it and it was...  I guess it simply comes down to whether we choose to believe in the Bible as the word of God or choose to believe in accidental fate.  That is the beauty of free will, we can believe what ever we want.  Either way, this universe of ours is a very beautiful and awe inspiring place and I am very happy to be a speck of dust on a tiny planet somewhere in the Milky Way.

"Beneath the Drought" - 24" x 20" x 1.5" - Acrylic on hollow door panel - $250.00

Here in the mid-west (as in much of the US) we experienced a terrible drought last year.  There were days that I felt as though I could actually hear the ground and trees groaning for a drink of cool, refreshing water.  I remember walking out into the yard with our dogs and feeling the grass crunching under my feet!  The rain teased us a few times with just a sprinkle, but then one day the rains came in earnest and I believe it was renewing not only to the earth but to our spirits as well.  I stood outside for a while soaking up the big drops and thanking God for the rain.  In those moments I became inspired and rushed inside to start this painting.  I remembered that even as the rain waters the earth; we are also watered and refreshed by God through the renewing power of His Holy Spirit!

"Day One - Ashes to Ashes" - 24' x 40" x 1.5" - Acrylic on hollow door panel - $425.00 (SOLD)

Here is my version of the post apocalyptic world we were all afraid of during the cold war.  That is if you are as old as me and were alive back then!  This heavily textured painting is rather bleak and barren but I suppose that is what one would expect to find the day after the bombs fell.  Those days were very fearful to many and it is troubling to hear that some countries are starting to threaten the use WMD's again.  Mankind never seems to tire of finding new ways of killing and new reasons to start wars.  Jesus warned us that it would be this way...  Mt 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  One day he will return in power and glory and then we will finally achieve the "world peace" so many people have been wishing for.  A special thanks to my new collector who purchased this painting from a show at the Springfield, MO Creamery Arts Center.

Nebulous Substrate in Red - 36" x 40" x 1.5" - Acrylic on hollow core door panel - $625.00

 

 

Believe it or not, this painting or at least a part of it was inspired by the partially constructed "death star" from the very first Star Wars movie.  It is currently on display at "ART INSPIRED" here in Springfield, Mo.  The fascination that I have with our universe continues to grow within me, and when I think of just how vast it is I am in awe.  I often wonder just how big God has to be in order to create something that is 13.7 light years across and contains literally billions of galaxies.  I guess it is no exageration when He says in Isaiah 66: "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool"!!

CERN #3 Protons Colliding - 32 x 36 x 1.5 - 450.00 US

Here it is at last, springtime in Switzerland and the protons have finally collided at very near the speed of light.  Thankfully I did not experience a singularity or black hole formation or else it would have swallowed up our newly remodeled kitchen as I painted this in the dining room where the light was better.  Look closely for quarks and bosons, Mr. Higgs is in there somewhere I am sure of it.  Have you ever read the book Blasphemy by Douglas Preston?  It is a good read and I recommend it if you like scientific facts mixed with your fiction.   As you can see I have surrendered to the power of pure abstract expressionism in these paintings and I must say that it is very liberating.  You have to be careful here as the smallest amount of form or illustration can be perceived as being "contrived" and we don't need that in a work that is supposed to be purely uninhibited.  My credit card paint application device broke in half part way through this painting.  I hope the AMEX sales staff gets on the ball and sends me a new one soon....

"Days of Noah" - 20" x 24" - Acrylic - 150.00 US

This is actually the third in a series that began with the "Rule of Nines".  The second painting was called "Solstace" but I cannot find a decent photo of it and now it has sold!  Not a bad problem but I kind of hate it when that happens.  I am loving the juxtiposition of organic verses geometric in this group of paintings.  I have also started using some metallics just to spice things up a bit.  I coated this piece with two layers of liquitex gloss varnish and the colors just popped.  I wish you could see the depth in this photo but it just isn't showing all of the detail that I wish it would.  This painting will be showing soon (next week I believe) at Dr. Becky Bryants' office at the bone and joint center near Cox South.

This deserves a shout out to the Springfield Regional Arts Center (SRAC) as well as all of their corporate members for sponsoring shows like this one.  Thanks for the opportunity!





"Impact" - 30"x15" - Acrylic - SOLD

This little 30"x 15" painting is called "Impact".  Really, I need to quit watching ancient aliens and through the wormhole.... This dinosaur killer tells quite the tale but I will leave you to figure out the story just the way you see it instead of boring you with my explanation.  Can you believe that someone recently told me that I talk too much about my art?!!  Not sure if I can change that but if the aire of mystery causes more interest then it would definitely be the right thing to do.  I think...  What do you think?  I'm co-dependant right?  Nuff said...

"Rule of Nines" - 24"x 40" - Acrylic - 425.00 SOLD

Ok...  Well a lot has happened over the last month.  I curated a local show called "Intellectual Abstractions" at the Creamery Arts Center here in Springfield, MO and it was a great success.  I sold four paintings and made several new friends.  In addition; I have begun working as an Artistic Consultant, mainly assisting local venues in setting up gallery space and finding artists for shows and the such like.  It is very rewarding and I am very happy to be working in a field that I am so passionate about.  Thank you God for answered prayers!

Along the way I have still been able to find some time for painting.  This painting called "Rule of Nines" is 24"x 40" and is painted on a hollow core door panel with acrylic paint.  This is the first in a series and I will be posting more as they come along.  The number nine is a great number mathmatically and has held my interest for some time now.  I decided to make this painting after reading the Terry Goodkind novel "The Law of Nines" but prefered to use the word rule instead of law...  Here is one interesting factoid.  If you multiply any two digits between one and nine by the number nine (ie - 3 x 9 =27), then the two digits in the resulting number will always equal 9 when added together.  I will stop now because I see my wife yawning and rolling her eyes...  Enjoy the color if nothing else!

"Subduction Zone" - 24"x 48" - Acrylic - 550.00 US

This 24x48 acrylic on hollow core door panel combines both geological and geometrical aspects into one painting.  The concept is a merger of two of my painting styles and it came to me after watching a show on NatGeo about earthquakes.  No deep meanings here, just my abstract rendition of the movement of tectonic plates along fault lines.  This painting is currently for sale and on display in the lobby of University Plaza here in Springfield, MO.

"Babel On" - 36"x 32" - Acrylic - 625.00 US

 "Babel On"...  an appropriate title for this painting as well as my state of mind!  Things have sort of exploded around here and in a good way even.  This year has been full of opportunities starting with my own show at Driskill Gallery in the SBU Art Department.  The show went very well (I actually sold something...) and it seemed to open a door of further opportunities.  One of our upscale hotel properties, University Plaza,  fell under new management and opened their doors to display the work of local artists.  I was the first chosen to display there and ended up helping to curate the show which was a hit and actually made it into two separate newspapers! (woo hoo!!)  I also had several pieces accepted into the "Big Show" at the Springfield Airports Sky Gallery and directly after that was asked to curate my own show "Intellectual Abstractions" at the the Springfield Regional Art Council's - Creamery Arts Center.  This show will open next Friday July 6 and so far it is looking very promising.

Babel On is the second and last painting is my very small series investigating the use of a mono-chromatic pallet and symbolism to embrace social commentary and visually discuss the results of language and math in regard to their contributions to mankinds ability to grow in wisdom and pass on that knowledge to future generations.  Just try for a moment to imagine a world without language and then a world without mathematics.  Can you say "stone age"???

The writing in this piece is ancient Sanskrit, Cuniform and African Andinkra symbols.  These are some of the (if not THE) oldest "writings" in our recorded history of language.  Without the ability to document and record progress (Inventions, knowledge...) much is lost over time and the wheel then must be re-invented.  The ancient art of story telling is romantic and probably way better for us than television, but, in the end it allows for the "recipe" to change over time thus affecting the outcome...  True to my first sentence I have babelled on!!  Enjoy this piece and enjoy your day...