I created two new paintings for a show this past week. They will be on display at the Raices Taller Gallery and Workshop show, Aguas Sagradas (Sacred Waters). The reception is Saturday, July 2, 2016. This is their annual tribute to the monsoon season in Tucson, Arizona. It always attracts a sizeable collection of artists, and draws a big crowd for the opening reception.

The theme, Sacred Waters, can mean anything. I sometimes like to have a theme from which to work, but it can be a challenge to find something within that framework, because it can be so open to interpretation. That’s a good and a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. That is where creativity comes into play. I don’t do landscapes often, and can’t think of the last time I created one. I thought I’d go ahead and try a couple of landscapes and see what could come of it, and was happy with the results.

Harrison Road on a Monsoon Evening in Tucson. Acrylic on canvas. 2016.

Distant Storm in the Desert. Acrylic on canvas. 2016.

Setting up at the Steinfeld Warehouse

The weekend of May 21nd and 22nd 2016, turned out to be a great show for the Spring Tucson Open Studios Tour.  Hundreds of artists opened up their studios and showed at other venues for this, and the previous weekend, of the tour. Dozens of visitors came to see artwork by artists who were displaying at the Steinfeld Warehouse at 101 E. 6th Street in the Tucson Warehouse Arts District. I made some sales on Sunday, May 22, the last day of the tour, so that made things worthwhile.

It was interesting to see what types of art people were buying. I paint a variety of subjects in a many media: nudes, still lifes, whimsical images, in acrylic, oil, pastel, charcoal and pencil.

Visitors walking around looking at art.

I noticed the colorful landscapes the artist next to me was making a lot of sales. I look at that and see if I can make some similar art in my own style, to see if those will sell. It’s always a challenge to note what people will by from my collection of eclectic subject matter.