"Ye Olde Schoolhouse"

I was driving around the far northern suburbs of Detroit a few weeks back. It was fairly depressing. Here was this beutiful farmland and all around there were these ugly-ass Mcmansions going up. I'd see a large expanse of unspoiled land and a "For Sale" sign on the road. The one thing that made the excursion worth it was spotting this little, abandoned one-room school house. (I omitted the "For Sale" sign from the front of it). I can just imagine what it'll be in a year or two. Any guesses? 

"Attack of the Green Slime"

I came across this odd scene at Metro Beach late one afternoon. It' looked almost as surreal in person as it does in the painting. And while the colors look exaggerated, they're pretty close to real life. The algae was everywhere including the inland streams. 

"Floating Treasures"

Several people have told me they're not sure what to make of this painting. As in, is it looking up at the sky? Or down into the water? It's looking into one of the large ponds at Metro Beach along the nature trail. It was a brilliant July afternoon, and, as usual, I had the place to myself. It's a shame that more people don't take advantage of these Metroparks. Most are located a short drive from downtown Detroit and have quite a wide range of landscapes and flora. Perfect for enjoying nature and looking for painting ideas. 

"Pining for the Fjords"

Monty Python aficionados will get the reference. I found this wall of pines rather striking. I'm pretty sure they had been planted all in a row. Just like nature would do, right? Not sure why anyone would do that in an otherwise natural park. Anyway I thought it looked interesting. At least painting worthy. 

"Reach for the Sky"

Finally made it out to Indian Springs Metropark. One long drive but it was worth it. Quite a variety of terrain. Fields, thick forests, streams, and several small lakes. The sky was overcast and pretty dramatic. I found this one lone thistle stem and tried to snap a picture of it, but the wind was relentless. It stopped for a sec and I grabbed this pic. Made for a decent painting. I'm finding when I work on larger canvases, my brushwork tends to be a lot looser. 

"Ponderous Afternoon"

Another scene  from Metro Beach. It was a beautiful, sunny day and I just loved the way these water lilies looked. I'll have to check back later in the Fall when they're turning brown. That could make for some interesting painting. 

"Still Life with Mr. Potato Head"

I love the juxtaposition of traditional still life subjects with something a bit unexpected. And who doesn't love Mr. Potato Head? I thought I'd have a go of it. I'm always looking for oddball things to include in my paintings. So if you have any suggestions, drop me a line or leave a comment below. 

"Bank Job"

On a hike at Stony Creek I came across this cool scene. It was looking down at a riverbank from a bridge. It looked pretty abstract and I thought it'd make a cool painting I think it kinda works. Certainly pays to look down, that's for sure. 

"One True Birch"

Found an absolutely deserted section of one of our MetroParks--Stony Creek North. I hiked for about an hour and a half and only saw one other couple. The area looked pretty desolate. I imagine it looks dramatically different mid-summer. I'll have to hit it next year. It was one of the few parks in our area that has birch trees, although there aren't many even there. Not sure if this one was diseased or had shed its leaves for the fall. It seemed a bit early for that. Anyway, I thought it looked cool in front of the big pond. 

"Semi-magic Mushroom"

Ya just never know what you'll come across when you're on a hike. Especially when you look down. I found this mushroom recently and I was taken aback by it's color. Almost psychedelic. I know it looks d=fake, but if you saw it in the flesh, you'd believe me. 

"Waiting in the Wings"

Well, it looks like this is going to be my last goldfish painting for a while. One of the fish died recently so I bunged the other one in our pond. I got tired of them croaking and replacing them one at a time. My wife bought me the two Japanese ceramic fish you see looking at the bowl, as if waiting to replace them. Hence the title. Time to move on.