Inspired by a rescued Greyhound I met with his new adopted owner in Dewey Beach, Delaware.  This was a racing dog that was scheduled to be put down afetr it was no longer useful on the racetrack.  The adoptive owner gave him a new lease on life.  They both looked very happy; a dreamscape in which the bluebird visits him to inspire him to endure his racing pain long enough for a miracle to save him.
“Mickey Longboards”

“Mickey Lonboards” (2008) was inspired by a scruffy little stray cat that passed by my tent during a boardwalk show in Ocean City, NJ.  I had already started painting a Rhino when a gentleman named Mike stopped to look at my canvas as I painted.  I stopped and asked him, "Should I paint this Rhino or this cat I just met?"   He said "Paint The Cat Dude."   I went with the old retro suit for the gnarly little wiskered feline.  I loaded a lot of color into this one because Mike mentioned he liked a lot of color.  My kinda guy; thanks "Mickey" from Ocean City!

If you like, I can remark this print with custom designed board logo of your own.  Just ask me...I love to do "remarks"...it makes the work one-of-a-kind!
   
 “JD Piglet”
Winner! "Peoples Choice" Milton Arts & Crafts Festival 2008

 “JD Piglet” was inspired by a real piglet that nearly died by drowning, hypothermia and starvation to escape the horror of a slaughterhouse.  Eventually the little piglet made it to a peaceful existence with other rescued food industry animals on a heavenly animal shelter in Watkins Glen, New York where he peacefully resides today.  After I met this little piglet (we also share the same nickname) I was inspired to write his story.  I used as much intense color as I could in this painting to portray the energy and exuberance you feel when in the presence of this little blessing.   This painting isprobably the 4th painting in a series of 10 that I will create of this little rapscallion.
“Frankie Fish”

“Frankie Fish” (2008) was inspired by a little fish I spotted in Belize while snorkeling for Whale Sharks.  In the awe-crazed minutes we had observing one the largest most beautiful fish on the planet I seemed to grab the attention of a crazy looking little fish with big eyes and a huge mouth.  He was fast and kept following me within safe range.  I couldn't quite make out exactly what he looked like so I elaborated.  But I do remember his smile; I can only hope he remembers mine.
“Indian River 98”

Indian River Inlet on a beautiful September day.  I took off that Friday to "smell the roses".  This painting captures a moment where I just stopped to take in the beauty of the ocean. The waves were powerful, smooth and rythmic with a slight off shore breeze; the water was still warmand the sun was hot.  I surfed about six hours straight - a perfect day.
“Ansley's Dragonfly”

“Ansley's Dragonfly” (2008) I started this painting in 2002 and put it aside for later.  6 years later I decided to finish it off.  At another beach show a lttle girl named Ansley stopped and commented how much she loved the flower.  I asked her what she would like to see on the flower and she said a Dragonfly.  Luckily there were many buzzing around that day.  I added the ladybug because they kept landing on the canvas as I painted.

 
“3 Little Ladies”

“3 Little Ladies” (2008) was inspired by an effort to rid our garden of Aphids.  We bought about 500 ladybugs online and they were delivered to us in the mail.  We put them in the garden one Friday afternoon and figured it would take a few days before we saw results;  it was a slaughter!  The ladybugs ran up and down the branches like Pacman and gobbled up all the Aphids in about 90 minutes.  When the aphids were gone the ladybugs still searched and as they bumped into each other they seemed to pause, greet eachother, then turn and go the other way.  That is the moment I wanted to capture.  After a day they all seemed  to fly off to other gardens to clean them up.  I recommend this method for Aphid infestations.
“Bonjour”

“Bonjour” (2008) was inspired by memories of Sea Monkeys I used to buy in the back of MAD Magazines and other crazy comic books.  I thought I was doing them a favor by putting a guppy or two in the bowl to keep them company.  Recently during a visit to Washington DC I saw a retro-styled advertisement that reminded me of the old Sea Monkey ads; the rest of the story is pigment and canvas. 

“Fat Cat”

 “Fat Cat” (2008) was inspired by 2 pear-shaped mother and daughter cats with seemingly similar insecurity issues.  The holiday lit apartment in Silver Spring, MD where they resided harbored little natural light except for one window which was well-suited for their reclusive nature.  When I passed by at night I could just make out the fig-shaped cats with massively large eyes plopped cautiously out of range of the streaming moonlight.  I painted this with the intent of capturing their internalconflict; the reliance on sedentary safety vs their instinctive inquisitive urges to seek new information as to what ishappening around  them.  It seemed as if their eyes were expanding to compensate for the fear which kept them from seeing more. In the end I painted one cat combining physical characteristics from both.

"Closeout"

Big day, Big waves, plenty to go around.

“Flying Pigs”

"Flying Pigs” came to me while kayaking in Potomac, Maryland.  It was late afternoon and gnats were swarming all about the grassy areas.  Even though the swarm seemed chaotic I knew that there was probably a pattern as everything in nature has a pattern if you look close enough and long enough I visualized what the pattern would look like if they were pigs swarming instead of gnats.

“Rocketworm”

“Rocketworm”) was an idea that came to me as I was observing pinholes of light from beneath a large pile of leaves which I had buried myself under.  As I looked out beyond the leaves I began pondering the cool, damp underground existence of a worm.  Eventually my thoughts led me through a storyboard of how a worm might break its underground confines through determination and creative genius.  The story is written in such a way that I have been inspired to create a series of paintings to follow thefirst (actually the 4th in the story board) in order to tell the complete tale.

“Lone Buzzard”

“Lone Buzzard” was part of a series of creations inspired by a luminous evening landscape in Wyoming one evening during a coast-to-coast trek across America alone.  That particular evening the stars seemed to sparkle like old-school holiday lights.  Each encompassed a rainbow of colors shining so bright they seemed to dwarf everything - even the expansive desert.  Lone Buzzard symbolizes human duality - a personally intimate and joyous event with the slight anxiety one could experience when absorbed by a beautiful moment without the ability to share it with another.  

“Sea Turtle”

“Sea Turtle” was actually inspired by the color green.  One evening, while watching a documentary on green sea turtles, I became enamored with them and decided to render their peaceful existence as “Buddha’s of the Sea”.  But even though I was thinking green, I was felt compelled to paint them with hot orange, red and yellow to reflect the vibrant yet calming energy they radiate as they effortlessly glide through the sea. I kept having reoccurring visualizations of one passing by me underwater over and over again for days until I finally painted this.

“Surfer”

“Surfer” was my first surf painting.  An avid surfer for most of my life this painting reminds me of that moment when you walk up the beach and assess the wave situation.  On a particularly big day you have to time your entry.  This day at Indian River Inlet in Delaware was particularly large.  I got pummeled a few times but I caught a few sweet ones too. This always reminds me of nature's beautiful balance.

“Pigs in Space” 

 I always thought pigs flying space craft would be fun so I painted it.  I try not to over think or over work a concept because often you lose that edge if it is over-polished.  I guess it worked because both kids and adults love this fun little scene.

“Piggy”

 “Piggy” was one of my first serious expressions of animal self-actualization.  Like “Sea Turtle” and “JD Piglet” the natural color of a piglet did not seem to project the inner energy and exuberance of a piglet.  I found myself expressing his outlook with hot yellows, oranges and reds with a wild-eyed illustrative rendering of a little pig with a heart filled with deep blue skies for he does value himself as humans would expect; he perceives himself as an equal entitled to the same joyous existence and harmony as humans.

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