"The Old Man in the Tree"

On a hike at Wolcott Mill I noticed this craggy old tree. I couldn't help but notice the face of an old codger staring at me. So it was a natural to paint. And I really didn't exaggerate any of its features. It's pretty much what it looked like. Nature just never fails to amaze me. 

"Camflash"

Confession here. I've exhausted all my sources for vintage cameras to paint. So I've decided to look on the Interwebs for images of cameras and backgrounds. This is the first painting I've done using these resources. Many more to come, that's for sure. The supply of camera images is seemingly endless. 

"Foldex"

What a cool looking camera. Painting it was a bit daunting. I started with the background and sketched in the camera. Then it sat for quite a while. It looked so complex, I was reluctant to dive in and finish painting it. Finally I just started chipping away and it came together. I tried to keep it on the loose side, so if the mechanics aren't absolutely accurate, it wouldn't matter. Besides, who the heck owns a Foldex and is going to question my rendering? 

"More Daffiness"

On a walk in the neighborhood, I spotted these daffodils against a wall with peeling paint. I thought it'd make an interesting painting. And I think I finally got the flowers right. They actually look like daffodils, for once! 

"Daf Punk"

These were in their glory, right outside our dining room window. I don't know what it is about daffodils but no matter how I paint them, they somehow don't look right. I'll just have to keep on trying. 

"What a Doll"

My mom gave this doll to my oldest daughter when she was born. For years it sat on her shelf and she wasn't allowed to play with it. Now she's all grown up and it was still sitting there, so I decided to put it to good use as a model. When you look close at them, dolls are kind of creepy. But this is about as close to painting a human as I've gotten in a long time. Maybe I'll start sketching people and see how I do. Or, maybe I'll paint some of the dolls in our vast collection of them!

"The Sad Barn"

Found this sad old barn on our way back from a hike at Wolcott Mills Metropark. It was surrounded by an ugly subdivision and you just knew someone was holding out for an offer that he hoped would make him a millionaire. I find it sad that beautiful land miles and miles from a city is being developed. But I get a bit of pleasure when I see traffic backed up for miles during rush hour. Serves ya right folks! 

"High Tea with Twinkies"

I thought I'd have a bit of fun with this. Mixing fine Wedgewood china with one of the grossest junk foods from my childhood. It turned out okay. If you have any other suggestions for other humorous still life's, let me know!

"19th Century TV"

Back in the late 19th Century and the early 20th, folks would sit around the parlor after dinner and pass around stereoptic cards and view them through their viewers. Pretty much the equivalent to watching tv. The variety of cards was almost endless, from humorous short stories, to landscapes and foreign travel photos, to bible stories and historic events. I've had a collection of them since I was a teenager, but these days, they're so expensive, I haven't bought any in years. I thought a viewer and a couple slides would make a cool painting. 

"The House Whisperer"

This block of apartments is just north of Detroit's Cultural center and a bock south of the historic For Piquette Plant. It looks like its ben vacant for many years. But it also appears someone has a vision for the building and is just starting to rehab it. Godspeed to you! At one time, this would have been torn down and there would be an empty lot there today. Now, people are finally seeing the benefit of fixing up old buildings. I look forward to the day when I can do a painting of the fully restored site.