Some thumbnails...

I am working on my 'big project' today and looking at thousands of photographs. I noticed these little shots as I was looking at some of the images I photographed in Iraq. This was my attempt to document the progress as I painted the dragon dollar.

I had an idea but I wanted it to be different. I had a few with people cause that was what every bill has but I wanted to something different. I don't know if it was due to my extensive studies of Mandarin or my love of chinese history and culture. I have a couple of different ideas that I may want try. Once I decided on the dragon I tried a couple of different thoughts and then I enlarged it to get some more details. I usually don't move this quick but I felt good about what was happening and quickly transfered it to the board.

I had just finished the painting of Perry Stewart and I was feeling very confident in my painting ability. It was a time when I needed the paint to have a place to go to get away from what was going on around me. It was not like it is in the movies with shellings every day or that I ever did get into a single fire fight but it was difficult for me. This little project along with the other painting I did were such a wonderful experience for me.

After I got to Kuwait, once again my opportunity to paint kept me from completely going crazy! I am so grateful for those opportunities and I can't wait for more!

For a fellow soldier

A rough draft for a friend, he wanted an image with his deployment flag patch and his dog tags. Something simple to remember the 'fun' times I guess.

Lots of Photos

I don't have an drawing to post because I looked at way too many pictures today to try and draw one. I was looking at a million photos to select the ones that I would use to produce the paintings I will be starting on soon. I am really excited for the work ahead of me. It is both terrifying and exhilarating because of the amount of work that will be required. I have never set a goal to do this many works of art in this time frame that are all about one theme. I have done this many from school but they were all in different ideas and techniques and sizes and well, just different. This is going to be a great experience for me and I hope to get more posted as the productions enters a more visually apparent stage.

I am looking to involve this little scenario I have here. I have some other images and will probably use them as they offer a better persective into what was going on.

First rough

The work begins with the concept in mind. I will be composing several paintings to commemorate the work my company and other soldiers did and I have pencil to paper. Officially I have been working for a few days now but I wanted to keep you updated on the progress so far. This is a scene of a evening checkpoint that was conducted. I am not sure if a vertical format would be better. I think I will but I wanted to see it in the horizontal just to make sure. This is going to be a long journey to complete this job but I am looking forward to every pencil line and each brush stroke!

Painting Money

I have had this idea of painting my own money, or at least some imaginative bills of my own. This one was a lot of fun. I had a few tubes of paint and I let the paint direct my color pallet. Not something I normally do but this was going to just be a fun exercise.

I had a pre-textured board that I had brought with me to Iraq and with a few neon colors and a couple of colors that are less exciting I got busy. The sketching was completed in a day and with a quick transfer of idea I got busy. I tried to keep with some basic principles of light against dark, bright against muted and either turn the form or not turn the form, was if decorative or was it something that needed to pop. It really was fun and didn't take too long at all. Kept me busy on something productive in my down time.

The board was measured to fit a frame that I purchased at a thrift store. This project measured 12" by 24", a pretty good size for the design. It has been fun for me to pick up old and less than ideal frames that have been discarded by others. I have gained some inspiration and been able to frame some paintings of mine for quite a discount.

Getting finished with the 'Zebra'

I had finally posted a blog that I had written a while ago when I noticed that I am almost done with that painting. It is of my brother, one of my brothers. I have two and both are part time referees. It just happens that I caught this one in uniform at the house and so after a quick photo shoot wearing non-regulation shoes I started to paint. I am almost done. I think all I need is some camera flashes.

I am on youtube!

This was a crazy experience. I not only got to paint a ton of space but it also landed me on youtube. It is really strange to see myself on youtube. I teased with my wife that I was 'going viral now' but seriously it was great to paint. The individual that did the video has some other great videos he has on youtube and he is the one that helped me with the photo I currently have for the top of my banner on my blog here. I plan on painting it soon, but for now the reference is on the top of the blog.

Just an update on the painting!

I have made some encouragement from my brother to work on my skill. I have been wanting to work on it as I have been trying to listen to some uplifting talks and interviews as I travel back and forth to work or as I wait for a formation or just any extra time I get. It has been inspiring and I have been taking steps that I pray will have a lasting effect.

One idea that I am going to work on for this next year is coming up with a life vision. I will set some goals, establish some very specific ways of accomplishing these goals and then write out why I want to accomplish the goals. I guess by going through all this and writing it all in a first person way as though they have already happened is suppose to make them more real. Then I record myself reading the life vision and I listen to it daily. I hear myself telling myself what I want, how I am going to get it and why I want the goal to come true.

An old painting with some progress!

I am still working on this fish. I have done some work, now I just need to finish it.

I am so excited for a new start. It is a new beginning with the blog. I have proposed to the command if I can paint some painting to commerate the work the soldiers did as Operation New Dawn came to a close and the last of the U.S. soldiers were leaving Iraq. I am so excited for this great opportunity. I am going to try to make it as much as I can in every great way I can! I am trying to take some advise from a friend that has always had some great advise . I think I am combining a couple things in one as he challenged to do something new and he says to keep a blog. I redesigned the blog cause the blog is important to an artist and my new activity is to use my art for something more the drawing tattoos. The future is bright. I am looking forward to all I can create, not just on the canvas but with life! I did want to thank a friend for his support, here is the post he put on his blog reminding all artists to have their own blogs:

Back again

Okay, it has been too long. I have been away to Iraq, doing my part in the job I signed up for. I am back now and would like to get started posting more of what I love to do. This is a portrait I did while in Iraq. I took just enough paints and a few boards to be able to have some fun. I have been wanting to do this one for quite some time, the reference was some pictures I obtained from a social networking site and threw them together. I felt like it matched the personality behind the man quite well.