These carnival dancers are loosely based on dancers I saw a long time ago at the Winnipeg Canada Folk Festival’s Caribbean pavilion. There they had long dresses with more yellow and were inside a school gym. Artistic license.

Ladies Dance is a totally made up painting. These ladies do not exist in a photo. They are conjured up as a result of my painting so many women. I can’t tell you how many complete paintings lie under this one. But none of them suited me. (of course what usually happens is that i photo them and go back after a while and realize the original painting was actually the best one.Oh well .But this one continues to make me smile. It is not perfect but I like the color and movement. The viewer can decide whether they are dancing or just having a heated conversation.

Bourbon Street Tango is a work that resulted from a trip to New Orleans in February.   I was walking in the French Quarter and happened upon a group of musicians and a dancing couple.  I joined the crowd to watch them perform for the next hour and bought their CD.   I play their CD when I want to paint something that has movement such as these dancers.  I actually dance while I am painting which leads to quite a few water bucket spills and paint splashes on myself my surroundings.

This piece hangs in the  Norfolk Academy until May 8th.  Come enjoy their art show and sale.

This is “Ocean Music” – 24×30 inch canvas that is a continuation of my dance series. But it is less about a recognizable dance form than just my feeling of a couple who are on the shore and no she is not beating him with a stick!