A while back I was working on a commission for someone who asked me to paint her parents circa 1941 at Oceanview Amusement Park in Virginia Beach. I did enjoy getting all my research together and doing preliminary sketches. I enjoyed the stories through photos of the sailors who were deployed from Norfolk during World War II. They spent free time at Oceanview Amusement Park. The colors and movement of amusement parks and fairs have always interested me as an artist. When I worked as an illustrator at the Daily Press, I had the sad opportunity to watch the tear down of the iconic wooden roller coaster. I believe it took three times for the explosives to finally work. It was an end to another chapter in local history.
For my personal work, I am still searching for a realistic, but looser style. I know folks think that I already paint in a loose fashion. But I want to do it in a more confident manner. I want the brushstrokes, colors ,and shapes to carry the painting rather than the reality it is based on. If that sounds confusing, it is because maybe I am. I think of Jackson Pollock and how he would throw house paint on his canvases flat on the ground. I try to think of how much excitement there was in that approach, but then I think about how much my back would hurt if I painted that way.
Having said that I would like to paint larger canvases despite the fact that I have nowhere to put them and most people are downsizing. Corporate world do you hear me? Tired of your prints that look like wallpaper samples? (Is that too mean?) Let’s talk. Meanwhile I continue my search for a new fresh series. Maybe I need to take my camera and do some exploring. But I think I will wait till it warms up.
