July 2008: Studio Work

July came and went faster than ever. Throughout the month, I managed to kick out three new pieces on canvas. These paintings have been lingering around in my head for quite a while. I've always wanted to paint a portrait of Diego and it's been an ongoing exercise to do a plan study of downtown Fredericksburg. The "Babylon" series is actually a continuation of a number of studies and paintings I initiated back in New York and it's pretty exciting to return to that way of "constructing" a cityscape. Anyway, click the images to enlarge the view and enjoy:

"Portrait of an Artist as a Young Boy", Mixed Media on Canvas, 18"x24" Sold

Diego collaborated with me on this one. He painted the blue background and I used pages from his sketchbook as collage material to build up the texture on his hooded sweatshirt."The River Is The Portal", Mixed Media on Canvas, 30"x30" $700

Seen up close, you can read the history of the city of Fredericksburg and Stafford, Virginia. It was pretty interesting to learn how the Rappahannock River played such a crucial role in the early exploration of this area and how it guided the development of the city's planning, commerce, and trade. It's funny how today so much of the city's architecture seems to turn its back on the river rather than integrate it into the public sphere.  This painting won First Place in the Mixed Media category at the Bi-annual "Uniquely Fredericksburg" Juried Art Exhibit.  The exhibition will run for the months of August and September at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (1201 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg).

"The New Babylon #2", Mixed Media on Canvas, 24"x12" $450

This series stems from my studies in Architecture initiated over fifteen years ago and was inspired by our view from our apartment in Brooklyn back in 1999. Although this composition is "fictional" it embodies the density, complexity, and inherent beauty that only an urban environment can offer.  This piece is also on exhibit at the "Uniquely Fredericksburg" show.