UPCOMING EVENTS! O_O

I'll be selling and signing copies of The Woodcutter and The Most Beautiful Tree in Grand Rapids and Rockford on Saturday, April 30th.


Minds in Motion (28th St. in Centerpointe  Mall)
11am-1pm




Rockford Frame & Mat Shop (downtown on the corner of Courtland and Main)
6pm-8pm
*Also selling signed and numbered prints from the book, as well as original artwork




Should be some fun times.  Stop by and say hi!

-Robb

Boniface I

There is another Beksinski-inspired theme I've been working on for a few years now.  Here are some pics of the process (you can see some of the watercolor work as well as sketched outlines and masking fluid.  Masking fluid is great because it lets you work quickly without having to worry about getting paint where you'd rather not.  And when you're done...you get to peel it off!):

Aaaaaand, here she is all finished and weird:

Boniface I
16" x 20" 140 lb. Watercolor block
Watercolor and Pigma Micron series

I'd never done such fine (as in "detailed") work with watercolor before.  I gotta say, I was surprised how well it went.

It's springtime somewhere, I'm sure

A friend from high school just had a birthday and her husband asked me to paint a piece for her. He had a general idea of what he was looking for, and this is what I came up with.

The inspiration came from the Japanese tradition of Hanami, or “flower-viewing party”. Hanami is a springtime celebration in which families, friends, and co-workers gather in groups, large or small, and picnic beneath the sakura (cherry blossoms). It’s a time to enjoy food, drink, and good company all under the beautiful pink canopy of the cherry trees. During my time in Japan, I was fortunate to participate in two hanami seasons, during which I went to several parties.

One such party took place in one of the larger parks in Tokyo: Ueno. The trees were truly magnificent, which easily explains why the park was so incredibly crowded with hanami-goers. Every inch of soil even remotely near a cherry tree was occupied by a cluster of people enjoying the spring weather. It was really something to see.

I much preferred the hanami in Tsukuba: quieter and MUCH less crowded. I guess this painting is supposed to reflect this more intimate side of hanami. That is, reflecting on and enjoying the beauty of spring with someone(s) you love.

***Thoughts and prayers continuing to go out to people in Japan dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, and the ongoing nuclear catastrophe.***