Oaks

Click on an image above to see more detail.

Price: $2200 USD, SOLD

I created this piece using oil paints, on a gessoed oak panel. When I use oil paint I often vacillate between painting thick and thin. It’s a great medium for creating texture, so I try to take advantage of that and make the surface very dimensional. This is the kind of painting that gets even more beautiful the closer you get to it.

I spend many hours trying to capture the contrasting light of the things I paint, and wintering trees are a fantastic subject. The trunk and branches have light that wraps around them, giving each undulating form a plethora of colors and gradients to record. The sky is an ever changing gradient that always makes an amazing backdrop to all the shapes. But as always, I’ve given my subject a major makeover, or haircut if you will. There’s just too many branches to get them all down, so I try and include only the things that enhance the composition.

This frame is a float frame. I like float frames because you see every inch I created. There’s no hidden edges. And it creates this sharp dark outline around the painting. This one is made from mahogany decking that I’ve mitered with darker mahogany keys inserted into the joints for strength and beauty. I tried to make the stain the same color as the dark wood of the oaks. My aim is to make artwork that is elegant in every aspect of its construction. I hope you like it.