An abstract with very rough textures, lots of browns, blacks, whites done in a variety of paints - except for that hot red center. To me, it is reminiscent of the center of the earth, with roiling lava surrounded by strata of rock and earth.

Not really abstract, since it is based on a famous photo of Lester Young, shot from an ant’s eye view - if you’re familiar with the photo, you can see what’s going on. If not, the jewel-like tones can carry the day, and make it a most pleasing piece of art.

The abstract pieces, in genral, are so different in approach and execution from the representational work, that there’s almost no comparison. I even feel different when I’m working on one of the abstracts, than I do when working on any other piece, following a far more organic path.

New Orleans

New Orleans

Alice in Musicland

Prez Cubed

Abstract #8

An eye-pleasing piece, not real big, (about 15″ wide) that sold some years ago; seems to have more breathing room than some of the other abstracts.

Gray Swash

This is an earlier abstract, and I’m still keeping a toe-hold in the representational with human form renderings. Payne’s gray is the color that predominates, as it somehow conjures up the tonal values of black and white photography for me (and old moview form the 1930s). The big swash was used as a unifying element.

Sequence and Flow

Oh Yeah