"Cry wolf" (20" X 48") - Shamanism in my painting!

This series on Native women offers me the opportunity to delve into subjects that really matter to me, i.e., native cultures and Nature...

The attraction I have for primitive designs superimposed over pure realism is undeniable.. and I feel the need to follow suit.

Note:The expression "cry wolf" suggests a false alarm, crying for nothing. In North American Indian mythology, wolves represent courage, energy, protection (and destruction). Many tribes see wolves as ancestors. The idea of unleashing a wolf pack while shouting "wolf", as a means of defending oneself, became irresistible!

Pursuing my series on Native women- "Fly like an eagle" and "Cry wolf"...

During the last 4 weeks or so, I have managed to complete one painting and start a couple of new ones:

I have reverted back to using Mylar and wire screening along with Chinese rice paper on raw canvas. With this series I try to leverage Native American mythology while responding to current issues affecting women in northern communities...

Note: Haven't figured out a title for the left one!

Missing (36" X 48") - An experimental painting to start a new series!

During my last painting exhibition, somebody suggested to me to do a series on Native women, an interesting idea considering the recent press on the alarming disappearance of numerous Native women in Canada over the last 2-3 decades. I did a prototype painting using Mylar and Chinese rice paper over raw canvas. I painted using acrylics and a very fine type of charcoal...

The idea was to create an elusive image which seems to disappear when viewed from an angle...

"Métamorphoses" : a successful exhibition with two fellow artists!

This past week exhibiting in le "Plateau Mont-Royal" was a most fruitful experience...

Getting feedback is an essential part of being an artist. This selection of works had a greater appeal for younger audiences, photographers, cinematographers and artists interested in my techniques. A special thank you to buyers of my art and to Denise and Hung for providing the opportunity to exhibit with them.

View video of the exhibition

Upcoming exhibition details...

My upcoming exhibition to be held from October 21st to October 27th. All are invited!

Back from vacation!

The greater part of September was spent in Spain, Italy and France. The Amalfi coast in Italy left quite an impression in my mind:

Time to get back to painting and get ready for my upcoming exhibition towards the end of October...

A diversion from my usual style...

Today I did another flock of wild geese, to take a break from figuration...

... and focus solely on paint application. Any positive developments on that side will be fed back to my usual subject matter, the human face...

Last aquatic painting...

Capitalizing on a rainy day, I pushed my last painting to completion after many weeks of absence from painting...

For my next projects, I would like to take a break from my usual subjects and create some works on flocks of birds, a series I started a few years back. The idea is to leverage the abstract patterns of birds in motion...

My art is in limbo this summer! The construction worker is eclipsing the artist!

Revamping our balcony over the last 2-3 months has taken a toll on my art...

 Hopefully, I'll get back on track in August. This is a second pass on my painting in progress as of 3 weeks ago:

An upcoming exhibition in October will most probably create the incentive I need to start wotking again...

Back to some form of painting... after major landscaping projects around the house!

Capitalizing on the crummy weather today, I initiated another underwater painting...

I'm still going for that tri-dimensional look with this one...

Whirlpool painting III... trying to find out if less is more!

Over the last few weeks, I have worked on another painting for this series...

It started off as an anemic start on a junk piece of canvas, and evolved into something more serious. Previous paintings had profuse amounts of textural effects, so may be there's more power in restraint!

Whirlpool II final... A mix bag of collage and pouring!

I completed the previous painting by re-introducing pouring in my bag of tricks, a technique that I used a few times in the past. I figure nothing beats watery paint... to depict water!

I kinda like the results! Over the last few months, I have focused on a few techniques that I like best and have reintroduced water ( I used to paint seascapes) along with my usual subjects (faces and bodies). I find this new approach quite stimulating!

Whirlpool II - step one... Another shot at a submerged face!

Despite being bogged down by a few house renovation projects, I took the time to initiate a companion painting to my previous to last painting...

A few more passes should make this water pool more convincing...

"Nymph"... Going back to bodies with my usual collage technique!

After a number of experiments with Chinese paper, I decided to revert back to my usual "canvas over canvas" collage technique dragging the colors that I saw in Cuba...

I ended up with a breakthrough painting that points to possibilities in the area of semi-abstracted figuration. After close to 2 years of live model drawing, I suddenly feel the urge to go free style with no reference material...

Note: this painting was a composite of 3 unrelated images...

"Tourbillon" - taking another slant on the wild side!

I finished the previous painting with my usual tri-dimensional deconstruction technique...

The previous version was fine, however, something in me wants to pursue a more visceral approach. The balancing act between the two approaches is exciting to me!

P.S. Although I've tried different deconstruction approaches over the last few years, I seem to be coming back to this one... so why fight it!

Emerging woman II... looking for a stream of smaller works.

Piggybacking on the previous painting, I laid the foundation for a stream of smaller works on partially immersed faces, in preparation for an exhibition in early November of this year...

My usual tri-dimensional collage technique will be used... to throw a monkey wrench into the picture!

Back from Cuba... towards a new series!

A one week hiatus in Cuba was a  must in the context of a long winter that doesn't seem to wanna quit any time soon...

Upon my return, I laid the foundation for a new series of "women faces emerging from water"...

Time to get the old epoxy varnishing kit out of the closet!

Purple passion - To finish or not to finish... that is the question!

Today I completed a collage painting to erase somehow my last half failure...

Because of the Facebook response that I got from the first pass, it is tempting to ask the question: between the two versions, where is the truth? The face being eclipsed by the material (torn canvas) or the face eclipsing the material? Where is the freedom? Will the real me stand up once and for all?

Prometheus - the human project III... I gave a go to a third one for that series!

Using my process for this series, I attempted a third painting...

... and again, very little Chinese black ink was retained at the final stage. For one thing, bodies are more complex than faces, and finding the path to simplification with the black ink is crucial. I'm after that old decayed photograph look...

Note: At some point in time, I felt compelled to let go with some spontaneous destructive color passages to support what I was trying to convey.

The face of Africa - Cultivating the "torn to shreds" look!

In an attempt to have a smaller painting ( 24" X 30" is largest format accepted) for the upcoming Montreal-wide artist contest in Pierrefonds, I completed this one using my recent approach to deconstruction...

Again, "Chinese black ink and acrylics on torn rice paper glued on canvas" agree with me. It would be interesting to go much more abstract with the Chinese black ink, losing a greater part of the figurative portion...

Prometheus - the human project II... it had a life of its own!

Today I completed a painting that was meant to be the second of a series...

I wanted to give more of a role to Chinese black ink with this one, however, a few technical mishaps sent me back to "real painting". 

This weekend is the start of a multi-artist exhibition at the St-Laurent community center. A few of my paintings are featured (below: the Avatar)...

Prometheus - the human project... leveraging rice paper and Chinese black ink!

I started a new painting using the momentum from the previous painting...

Deeply moved by recent events in Paris, I give an artist's point of view on the faith of mankind!

A break from painting!

Over the last 4-5 weeks, I have done very little in the way of art, feeling the need for a prolonged period of rest! I did add finishing touches to my last painting though...

I would like to create a "more commercial" series using Chinese black ink and acrylics for my major painting exhibition in November of this year. In the interim, I feel the urge to respond to the events in Paris, which left me stunned...

Happy New Year to anybody visiting this post!