Mixing different styles and techniques I created these works over the past few years.  Bottom row of inks are ripped from a sketchbook that is filled with bold figurative work.  Playing and experimenting with many different styles.

Bold strokes in black ink on thin Japanese rice paper.  One of my favorite ways to sketch is with a thick brush loaded with ink, trying to capture the essence or mood of the subject.  Here, I tried to capture the movement of MJ with very few strokes, bold drips, and thin grey washes.  From a pad of rice paper sheets drawn with sumi ink.

The drawings were created with ink and brush and are from a sketchbook, around 15 x 20 inches.  I filled a few sketchbooks with rough ideas and poses of MJ in all different sizes and styles.  I would just fill a thick brush with black ink and start sketching… trying to be very spontaneous and quick.  Many were not used in the book and I have an entire sketchbook filled with other ideas.

Many of the traditional Chinese and Japanese artists would stamp their work with carved soapstone stamps in red oil based ink.  When I saw this for the first time I was hooked and always wanted to have a series of these carved stamps.  The stamps on my paintings represent Tranquility, Love, and an oval Chinese stamp that is the symbol for “As if my brushstroke was guided by God”…

When I started painting for my Japanese galleries, I used to paint all different subject matter and styles to try and hit on a new technique, something the Japanese people would find interesting.  This landscape is from this period and is a good example of the gold leaf borders that I was working on and would eventually incorporate into my work.  I remember this landscape had a poem that was worked into the bottom… nice piece but over worked I think.  I slowly moved towards a much more spontaneous look with my landscapes, not as polished as this piece.

Many times I’ll have a blank sheet like this on top of my drawing board that I use as a pallet and to test a color before I add it to the painting.  You can see all the quick ink strokes to get the brush rolling before I place the ink on the final, like using a blotter to get the excess paint from the tip.  This sheet must be about 6 months old and you can see all the different test’s of strokes and colors, along with a quick ink sketch of a holiday angel I drew over a blue wash…

The paper I’m using here is a heavy cotton rice paper so the water absorbs quickly not allowing too much bleed.  I like to get the fuzzy bleed look with this technique so I actually soaked this portrait with color and water.  The details hold up well on this quality paper and stays flat which is amazing.

Such great materials to work with, one of my favorite ways to paint.

Thick Strokes

This is the technique I’ve been working on for years, the paint is just poured on the canvas, molded and shaped. I’m trying to paint like the scene is a sculpture…making the strokes in the foreground almost pop off the canvas, actually drawing with drips of thick paint.  The branches and leaves are made with very thick drops and strokes of paint, where they land they stay, It’s important I keep the painting fresh, not muddy by working the paint into the surface.  Another good way to keep the coloring clean and pure.

In Common

It’s amazing when I think of all these entertainers and singers I painted through the years, how every one of them truly loved the art, took the time to ask how the pieces were done, what materials I used, etc.  I remember David Bowie getting within an inch from his portrait (far right) and asking about a certain paint and color I used and how I got the color.  And Michael of course…he would stop everything to look at a painting and talk art.

From left: The Rolling Stones, MJ, Paul McCartney, and David Bowie.