One Artist's Journey

Kanji #5 - 12” x 12” Acrylic and Ink on Masonite - $200

I really really like how this one turned out. First I wet the board with a spray bottle, then I used a big sumi ink stick to draw the kanji. Then I went ape and painted the color around it. I didn’t like all of it, so I stood up the board and used the spray bottle to remove some of the paint. I think it turned out really nice. I like the dry and wet ink look.

Kanji #1 - 12” x 12” Acrylic on Masonite - $200

PAINTINGS COMPLETED TODAY: 4
PAINTINGS COMPLETED TO DATE: 16

I have decided to keep track of how many paintings I complete so I don’t have to go back and count them again and again.

After looking at the two of the abstract images I did last week, my wife mentioned they looked like Kanji, or Japanese or Chinese characters. So, I Googled some beginning Kanji (up, down, man, woman, etc.) and decided to paint those today. I used them as a starting point in some abstract paintings. I think they turned out OK.

Kanji #2 - 12” x 12” Acrylic on Masonite - $200

Last week, I did 5 paintings on Monday and hardly made it down to the studio after that. That isn’t the point of this experiment to paint 100 paintings. The point is to get into the studio for the next 100 days and create art.

So, I made an effort to get down there today I ended up completing four paintings. I need to get down to the studio (I say “down” because it is downstairs) and paint every single day till New Years.

While painting, I get frustrated because what I am doing looks silly or contrived. But then I have to remind myself that this is supposed to be fun and natural. “Art is Fun and Natural.” I should engrave that and put it up on the wall.

Here’s to Fun and Natural…