Autumn Asian Arboretum Amble

This is a painting of a Japanese Garden I recently completed.  I began this picture while in Leavenworth for my Great Aunt Esther's funeral, and completed it within the week...only having time to work on it a couple of evenings. This was my first painting on masonite.  Not by choice...I had forgotten a canvas when I headed to Leavenworth, and since I had seen Mark use masonite...in fact I have a couple of his originals on masonite...I figured it would work for me.  It is a little different feeling, but worked out just fine.  For me, this picture draws me into the autumn colours, and the light shining back into the picture.  I am drawn to walk down this pathway and across this bridge into the Light and adventure that awaits beyond.

Did You See That?

Final version of the picture entitled, "Did You See That?" framed. While the theme of this painting is certainly the joy of life shared with others, I focused on the number "three." (Sounds like a Sesame Street program, eh?): Three kids, three large rocks in the water, three sided triangles in the bridge, etc.  The representation is that as the triune element of God in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit brings an internal support of connected relationships spiritually, so does the value of sharing life and experiences with a couple of friends.

Ramblin' Amblin'

Women and Conversation. The two go together like, well...like peanut butter and chocolate! Ramblin' Amblin' was painted for my mom's 70th birthday. She has indeed come alongside many a maiden and encouraged and mentored them over her 70 years. She cares so much for those in her life, and conversation and love flow from within her as she walks along life's pathway with others.

Titus 2:3-5

Lavendar Laughter

On a flight to Detroit several years ago I met a chap from Sequim, WA. He and his family and I hit it off, and have had such a great time of fellowship, especially after they moved to a mile or so from us.  While they still lived on the Olympic Penisula, his wife took some great pictures of kids running through a Lavendar Field.  They expressed such zest for life in their running and skipping through the fields, that I attempted to capture their exuberance in this painting. I began it while my wife and I were up at a condo in Birch Bay in late February 08, and completed it in March 08.

Ginger Maple Firmament

Cori headed to a weekend women's retreat in March 2011, and so I  had time to take the paints out.  I enjoy the fall colours, so I decided to paint a picture looking heavenward through autumn leaves.  This is a 30 x 36 canvas, the largest I had painted, and with the thickness of the oil paint I used to get relief, took well over a year to properly dry.

Glowing Love

This painting was started in 2011, but got stored in the garage until March 2013.  I pulled it out, re-did the sky and water, and made the subjects larger.  The painting reflects a couple of things: Even when going through dark times in life, enjoying the closeness with one's spouse can actually make darkness something that can be enjoyed.

Additionally, this painting also has another element that is not noticed until you actually plunge the painting into true darkness...it is then that it actually glows [as can be somewhat demonstrated by mousing-over the photo above].  Here is the qualifier of the glow-in-the-dark element on the painting: This glow will only happen if the painting is first exposed to bright light. The strontium aluminate in the paint I use absorbs the light energy and thus becomes phosphorescent.  It lasts for many hours, but then has to be re-exposed to the light for the glow to return.  It reminds me how we have to have our lives exposed to Christ's Light during our daily time with Him for us to take on the energy and thus effectively glow in our often dark world.