Court Lutenist

I painted this thinking about the Baroque era and how the arts were promoted by the courts of the time.One had to be a very fine artist to get a court appointment.

Story concept

I am always interested in the image and what story it can tell. The above image was a desire to do something with a graphic look, using a minimal palette to create a moment.  These exercises are fun, and being a story artist, I sometimes think that one could write a compelling story starting with an image. I suppose it is like a writer who could well write a story starting with a compelling sentence.

Recent painting

A recent painting entitled 'Woman at Prayer '.  I have always liked the stark look of the Spanish Baroque paintings of Francisco Zurbaran. Many of his works reflect the new Counter Reformation ideals of the Catholic arts to portray the sacred with the importance on the figure in the forefront.  His wonderful paintings of St. Francis of Assisi certainly show this mindset. All fluff and unnecessary background imagery is to be discarded if it does not support the figurative subject.  The paintings were to inspire devotion to the mysteries of the Sacred with little mind to the earthly environment which passes so quickly.

Feast of St. Paul the Apostle

Oldest know image of St. Paul the Apostle unearthed in Roman Catacombs. The Fresco is dated from the 4th Century. More here.

lyrical sketches

Solemnity of Mary

I had to post something in honor of the Great Mother of God on this, her feast day so I re-posted this painting I did of her: THE MORNING STAR

Nov. 25

The Coyote bush is in bloom scattering

it's whisps with each breeze.

A very nice planter designed by Linnea. She does

wonders with little succulent displays

Sunday Sculpture

A sandstone boulder rolled down our hillside garden and planted itself on our walkway. Linnea wanted us to move it back up into it's place. I had been wanting to do a stone carving to see what that was all about and here was the chance. After an hour of pounding on it, this is about all I could do. Linnea dug a hole in our garden for it and there it will sit until it......well,  rolls down again.

JOY

Joy.Exuberance.Happiness still exists in the homes and by ways of the world even if th Media gives it little attention.

This is a frame from some of my storyboard work.

ELECTRONIC MUSIC

In the past, I composed and performed some electronic/orchestral works which I think, as I look back, are of decent quality to post. Here are a few of them ; CLICK HERE..

When the web page comes up, the file must be downloaded - it is under 'attachments '.

Rework of Guardian

I don't know why I keep going back to this image and fooling with it. Something about it interests me - it certainly isn't the poor execution of it that I've done

Our Lady of America

A devotion known as Our Lady of America.

Feast of St. Francis of Assisi

I just could not let this day pass without honoring Saint Francis of Assisi in some way. What better way than to show a Franciscan!

The old Friar in the center is Fra Gerardo, a humble and happy little follower of the Poverello. We are in the garden of San Giovanni Rotondo (me on the right as a 3rd order postulant- another brother on the left whose name I have forgotten). Fra Gerardo's cell was next to mine. He had grown up with St. Padre Pio and lived with him for many years.  He always had a smile and a cheerful countenance with only good to say.  The picture was taken in 1974.

Ubi Caritas - Durufle

I had to post this again. An impromptu performance at St. Paul's' Cathedral in St. Paul, Minnesota by the Lutheran College Collegiate Chorale. I think this just happened as the choral group was visiting the Cathedral and just decided, on the spot, to form a large half circle around the church and sing. Other than the singers, there are few people present. Their tempo for this work is slower than most choirs perform it which makes perfect sense in such a large empty space. The reverberation of so many voices would have gotten muddled had they sung it any faster. These singers' voices and phrasing fit together perfectly for the space. Their director must be a man go good heart and soul. I wish I could have been there.

The Guardian

A different style of Guardian Angel image in the works.

Since It is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows here is a sketch of Our Lady

though obviously not the Sorrowful Mother.

Digital Painting with Photoshop CS5

Yes, this is a digital painting. I thought I would try out Photoshop CS5's Painting brushes to see how they work compared to Corel Painter. I added the canvas texture to it just to add a more personal touch.

Many people consider digital art as not true art and I tend to agree since manipulating color on a computer is non critical - you can delete, go back, erase, color correct, etc.  But, it can be fun and when you work for a living in the digital world it is almost mandatory to know.

Harp : Lily Laskine plays BOÏELDIEU, Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (An...

One of the great harpists of the 20th century plays one of the great works.

Untitled

Feast of the Assumption of the Blesed Virgin Mary

One can get an idea of the grandeur or this great feast day of the Church when looking at such a great work of art as this sculpture by the the baroque architect/sculptor Equid Quirin Asam. This work is in the 17th centruy church of  the Benedictine Abbey of Braunau in Rohr, Germany. This, of course, could still be accomplished in our Sacred spaces if man would allow it. It's not about cost - look at the relatively new Our Lady of the Angels cathedral in Los Angeles which cost how many millions of dollars? My opinion is that this structure is dull and meaningless on all accounts-inside and out. It is the LACK of a  spiritual aesthetic for the sacred that renders it so. It's all about design.

deer resting

Much to our joy, two deer were lazing about on the hillside just below the deck of our home. We'd seen the bare spots on the hillside before and figured this was a place they like to hang out. They didn't seem to mind us as long as we didn't come too close. Of course, as beautiful as these creatures are they just love to eat most everything-especially our wild grape vines.