"Revival"

"Revival"  15 x 22  Watercolor 

My intention with this painting was to use some bright colors and create something with a "cheerful" attitude.  As I painted I was listening to some Neil Diamond music and the tent shapes took on new meaning...remember Brother Love's Travelin' Salvation Show?

See it now through mid November at the Parkersbug Art Center.  It's part of the West Virginia Watercolor Society's 2016 All Member Exhibit.

Cairn V Earns First Place in "The River"

"Cairn V - I Was Here"

"Tribute to the Stonecutter"

These two pieces are included in "The River" Biennial Juried Exhibition for professional artists at the Parkersburg Art Center.  The Exhibit will run through August 6, 2016.  Both pieces are water media on watercolor board, 20 x 16.  "Cairn V" earned First Place in the exhibit.

Tribute to the Stonecutter was completed first.  It represents my great great grandfather, a Frenchman who came to the U. S. in 1860.  He was a stone mason.  I often think of him as I paint my rocks.  He must have been very strong.  Rocks represent strength to me and are a recurring theme in my artwork.

After painting "Stonecutter" I decided I would make a rock painting that represented myself.  Cairns are trail markers that let the traveller know that they are on the right path, that someone else has passed this way before.  "Cairn V" declares my own existance and place in the world and acknowledges that we are all on this journey together.

Joseph's Coat

Joseph's Coat

30 x 22 Acrylic on w/c paper

Joseph's Coat earned an Award of Excellence in the West Virginia Watercolor Society's Aqueous 2016 Exhibit at the Cynthia Bickey Gallery in Beckley, WV,  May, 2016.

Fashion has changed since Joseph wore his colorful coat that his brothers coveted, but human nature remains unchanged.  Even though he was sorely mistreated by his brothers, Joseph found a way to overcome and forgive.  There is still a great deal of evil in the world, but good will always triumph in the end.

Decrescendo

"Decrescendo" (20 x 16 Acrylic) will be on exhibit at the Parkersburg Art Center as part of the Allied Artists of West Virginia Juried Exhibition, opening later this month.

Autumn is my favorite time of year.  This painting is my interpretation of the last glimmer of autumn color found in the sediment on the forest floor.  I chose the title because it represents a quieting in nature as winter approaches.

For The Quarrier

"For the Quarrier" will be on exhibit in the David L. Dickirson Fine Art Gallery at Tamarack through June 12, 2016.  It is part of the Narrations exhibit.  This is an abstract acrylic and graphite painting about the textures and shapes that might be found in a quarry.  As I painted this piece, I thought about my great great grandfather, Leon Bourgeois, a stonecutter who left his home in France in 1860 to come to the United States and build a new life.  He is just one of the many creative people in my family.

Composition In Blue & Gold

Composition In Blue & Gold is on exhibit at the Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling, WV through May 20 as part of the Crosscurrents Juried Exhibition.

If you happen to be in Charleston, WV be sure to visit the State Museum at the capital complex.  The prize winners from the recent West Virginia Juried Exhibition will be on display in the second floor gallery.  The exhibit is free and open to the public.

"Balancing Act" and "All Fall Down"

Balancing Act

 All Fall Down

"Balancing Act" and "All Fall Down" were selected to be part of the West Virginia Biennial Juried Exhibition held in the David L. Dickirson Fine Art Gallery at Tamarack, Beckley from November 2015 to February 2016.  "Balancing Act" earned an Award of Excellence and became part of the permanent collection of contemporary art at the West Virginia State Museum in Charleston.  What an honor that was!

Then in February when the show closed, I was expecting to be notified when I could pick up "All Fall Down" and bring it home.  Instead I received a phone call from the museum letting me know that they had decided to purchase that piece for the collection as well.  Amazing!

So 2015 was a very good year for me artistically speaking.  In addition to having paintings placed in the museum's collection, I was also invited to exhibit "Vespers" at Exhibition 280 at the Huntington Museum of Art.  That exhibit ran October 2015 to February 2016.

I remember visiting the Huntington gallery with my high school art club.  It was the first art museum I had ever been in.  That day I stood before a painting called "Joyce" and was almost overcome with awe.  I never dared to dream that I would one day have a painting of my own on exhibit in that very room.

Also in 2015, I became a juried Tamarack Gallery artist.  Tamarack, located in Beckley, is a beautiful place that showcases fine art, crafts and other products made by West Virginians.  It is touted as "the best of West Virginia."  I am SO PROUD to be a Tamarack artist and to have my artwork exhibited alongside the work of so many wonderful artists.

My painting "Off the Deep End" earned Best In Show at the West Virginia Watercolor Society's All Member Exhibit in Fairmont.  And "All Fall Down" received an Award of Excellence at the WVWS Aqueous 2015 Exhibit at the Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling.

So I think that brings my blog up to date for 2015.  I vow to be more diligent with my postings from here on.  Thanks for your interest and moral support!