Faces of Fear, a.k.a. Intolerance

Pastel over oil wash on paper, 2021. 47 x 57 inches. Photographers who contributed to the research: Brittany Murray, Andrew Shurtleff, Seth Herald, Mark Peterson, Jeff Kowalsky.

This is the first panel of a three-panel image called Faces. I am appalled by the negative, militia-fueled reaction to the BLM movement. It strikes me as a medieval response; in fact, I saw faces that could have come directly from paintings by Bruegel and Bosch. In order to organize the faces, I used a… Continue reading Faces of Fear, a.k.a. Intolerance

Black Lives Matter

This series was inspired by the spontaneous protests all across the country, which included people from all ages and cultures in support of the African-Americans in this country: their painful past and difficult present. It began as one painting and grew into a series. (See the Journal 2019 – 2020 for more details.) Two-panel oil… Continue reading Black Lives Matter

The Art of Infrastructure

SoLA Contemporary Gallery in Los Angeles, 2021 From the invitation: “The Art of Infrastructure exhibited the work of six artists, over three years of on-site art making, documenting the construction of a marvel of modern bridge technology in the Long Beach Port of Los Angeles, the new Gerald Desmond Bridge.”

The Top of the Bridge

Excerpts from my Journal: Part 2. Standing on the top of the bridge is a spectacular experience and painting from it is surreal. We have been so privileged. Right now the two highest pillars of the bridge, which will form the suspension part, have not been joined to the east and west ramps. The ramps… Continue reading The Top of the Bridge

Published
Categorized as Blog

Under the Bridge

Excerpts from my Journal: Part 3. I love the belly of the bridge as much as the top. From the time we painted in the parking lot at Connolly Pacific to now, it reminds me of Brueghel’s Tower of Babel. There are staircases that climb up the sides of the bridge pillars, made of metal tubing and… Continue reading Under the Bridge

Published
Categorized as Blog

Those who build the bridge.

Excerpts from my Journal: Part 4 There has been a lot of curiosity about what we are doing and enthusiasm for our project. Every day, one or two workers stop by to see our work. On some level, our project is a validation of their project, or at least a confirmation that the public appreciates… Continue reading Those who build the bridge.

Published
Categorized as Blog

Technology

Excerpts from my Journal: Part 5. In drawing and painting the bridge, so many associations from history creep in. Technology really does build upon itself. As one engineer pointed out, the laws of physics do not change. So, I look under the bridge and see the Tower of Babel. The top calls to mind old… Continue reading Technology

Published
Categorized as Blog

The Day of Fire and Wind

Excerpts from my Journal: Part 6. Written November 9, 2018; edited 2021. Kathryn and I, on the east ramp. We knew it was going to get hot—86 degrees—but we did not know the winds would be so fierce, up to 77 miles per hour! Kathryn insisted we get there before sunrise, but there was a… Continue reading The Day of Fire and Wind

Published
Categorized as Blog