New Work - Knight's Advantage

This one has been in the works for a long time!  Originally, it was done intended to be part of a mural project, which is why the original was painted as it was.  A year or two later, I decided the painting had enough going for it to try and turn it into a better painting...which meant it would have to be completely repainted.  The original composition was very cramped with all the figures touching or running off the edges of the panel, a fault that could not be fixed without starting all over from scratch with a larger board...but, I didn't want to start all over with it...just wanted to make it better with what I had.  My solution, was to glue a linen liner to the panel that would add 2" all around, and, then paint the liner as if it was part of the original painting, thus adding a little more breathing space around the composition.  See how it was done in this work-in-progress thread from Wet Canvas.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=925512

and here is the final painting;

...and some detail pics

WIP - Market Dancer - Finished!

This is a new commissioned centaur painting...a belly dancing centaur!  She is a professional working the market with her two young apprentices to help collect coins from her appreciative audience.  This will be 11x14 and loosely based on a ancient greece as the setting.  I will update this same post as new work is completed on this, so, all parts of this WIP will be in one place.  

The first 3 sketches are approximately 3x4" and were to work out a basic layout.  I used color pens to define the differant parts just to make them easier to see...the color here is not indicative of what the final painting will be. 

This is a full sized drawing working with the chosen elements from the initial sketches. 

Here is the final drawing transfered onto a toned Art & Enns gessoed panel.  We decided to go a bit larger so it would have a bit more breathing space, so, now this is 12x16.

Finished.  Following are detail close-ups

Hope you enjoyed the WIP!

NEW WORK - Gridiron Taurs

When I paint my centaur paintings, I try to imagine what they would really be like if they actually existed. In many of my depictions of them, I created a world for them of thier own, a world in which the centaurs must fight for world dominance against the blood-thirsty dragons in a savage post apocalyptic culture. Another scenario I like to imagine what they would be like in the world of Greek mythology taking part in everyday activities amongst the early human civilization. In a third scenario, like in this new painting, the centaurs are alive and well in present-day America! In "Gridiron Taurs" the Red team is trying to defend against a high-leaping lunge for the goal line!

"Gridiron Taurs" 6x8 inches oil on birch panel