Realist / Commercial

This period was a time of transition for me. I was still painting very realistic work that was both fine art and commercial. It was preparatory to something quite different that would follow.

Opening Day (gouache)

The Foss tug pictured in this scene of the first day of boating season in Seattle is one of the world’s strongest tugs, moving in any direction through the use of vertical, rotating fins beneath the vessel. It was accepted into Foss Maritime’s yearly calendar competition and now hangs in the main office. The University of Washington Hospital forms the backdrop.

Deception Pass (gouache)

Atmospherics is a method of indicating distance and depth in a painting by varying color, value and saturation. I wanted to show this landscape at Whidbey Island Washington’s north end with a dark, vivid foreground against a light, distant background cloaked in mist. The shoreline at right abuts Puget Sound.

Post Holocaust Movie (gouache)

This and two other pieces were commissioned to pitch a writer/producer’s idea for a post holocaust movie in which the world is submerged in water. In this piece, the protagonist is making his way on a Chinese junk to a floating city in the background.

Serenity (acrylic)

This commission was for a “peaceful landscape”. I used some traditional compositional devices to create that impression in an Eastern Washington landscape. The intentional absence of compositional movement makes the scene feel as if it’s anchored.

Blimp Cabin Bulkhead (gouache)

This is one of a series of spec pieces I did for a blimp manufacturer to adorn the aft bulkhead of the passenger cabin. The chrome-surfaced blimp is scaled down to bee size.