dark Artwork

December 20, 2024

February 26th, 2020. “You’ve grown tired, have’t you dear?”, she reassured. “It was too difficult. I’m so sorry. I failed you”, was my excuse. My stature felt different, like the weighing years had melted off and I was almost floating. She snuck in closer and whispered in my ear with her arms wrapped around me, “I understand. It’s alright now. It’s time to rest.” “Just five more minutes? You know how much I missed this”, I pleaded like an innocent child. “I suppose. Maybe you’ll see me when you awake, but it’s a surprise”, as she somehow wrapped herself around me even more. It was just like her to say something alluring like that. A cold winter wind blew against my neck and creeped throughout the rest of my body, but it felt as though a warmth was melting me asleep. My eyes grew heavy as my head dropped on to her soft shoulder. It was becoming too difficult to fight to stay awake, but I was already asleep. I expelled my last bit of energy to muster up one last, “I really missed you.” Finally closing my eyelids and letting go, drifting off. Was this really her loving hug again, after all these years? Or was this just me, making the rounds in my head, to embrace death?

November 28, 2024

This watercolor painting depicts a bold and festive red Christmas stocking adorned with the name “Ben” in dark, block letters at its center. The stocking’s textured surface showcases rich, layered shades of red, giving it a realistic and slightly worn appearance, while its white, fluffy cuff contrasts beautifully with a subtle mix of cream tones, evoking a cozy, wintry feel. The dark, almost black background creates a dramatic contrast, making the stocking the focal point and giving the composition a sense of warmth and nostalgia.

August 29, 2024

Hallelujah captures a profound and intimate moment between two figures, a woman and a man, bathed in muted, melancholic tones. The woman, with a look of quiet concentration, gently holds the man’s head as she carefully cuts his hair. The tenderness in her touch contrasts with the rough, darkened surroundings, suggesting a setting filled with history and emotional weight. The man, seated with his back to the viewer, seems resigned, his body language conveying a sense of vulnerability. Likely his pose shows signs of trauma. His unruly hair and the scattered clippings on his shoulders evoke a passage of time and perhaps a long period of neglect or hardship.

August 14, 2024

This evocative watercolor painting features a single red rose, captured in a moment of quiet beauty as it stands against a dark, rain-soaked background. The petals, rendered with delicate brushstrokes, are adorned with glistening raindrops that reflect light, adding a touch of realism and tenderness to the scene. The contrast between the vibrant red of the rose and the deep, almost black, background highlights the flower’s resilience and elegance, making it a powerful symbol of love and endurance. The soft, muted colors of the stem and leaves further enhance the focus on the rose, making this painting a striking piece that conveys emotion and depth.

July 3, 2024

Tiny Football was another quick artwork done on a tiny canvas. A tribute to one of Canton’s large driving parts of their economy, American Football. Since our city hosts the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is the biggest reason for tourism and festivals in our tiny city, I figured it was a good idea to have this sitting out on my studio space as a pick-me-up. Sports!

June 6, 2024

This watercolor painting, titled “Silent Reflections,” captures a serene and contemplative scene of two individuals in a small boat on a vast, calm body of water. The palette consists primarily of muted blues and grays, creating a tranquil and misty atmosphere. Light touches of yellow kiss the finer details to show the dancing of light. The reflections on the water’s surface are subtly rendered, blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. In the background, the faint outlines of forested hills fade into the horizon, shrouded in a gentle haze. This watercolor painting is a peaceful and introspective work of art.

May 26, 2024

Pomona’s Bowl is my practiced attempt to finalize my technique, using abstract vibrant brushwork, to create my own desired style in the realism oil painting realm. With every still life, I use it methodically to refine how I want to improve or change my artwork. This still life opulence in a bowl to me is the overwhelming first step to finally realize my artistic painting style that I want to utilize in the direction of how I want my landscape and narrative pieces to convey from here on out. It is an accomplishment in my own eyes, and what I consider the turning stone to take my work to the next level. Featuring a pomegranate fruit resting in a reflective metal bowl. Split open with it’s glossy seeds spilling out. The red velvet table cloth drapes the cold black table, sitting along in the light of the room. The vibrancy of the hues of red, violet, blue, yellows, purple, pink, and peach; blend together to construct this oil painting that seems reminiscent of scene from the old masters. Looking closely, you can see each section of abstract artwork, slathered on by the soft bristles of my brush to construct something beautifully grand as you step back to take it all in at once.

March 23, 2024

Gehen Heim is a watercolor painting that depicts a somber, expansive landscape under a heavy, overcast sky. The sky is a tapestry of grays and muted blues, seemingly thick with the weight of a passing snow storm. The horizon is a dark, solid band, suggesting a distant forest or line of trees that separates the sky from the land. Below, there’s a vast expanse of a body of frozen water, its surface rendered in pale whites and light grays that capture the reflective quality of the ice. A solitary figure stands in the lower third of the composition, adding a poignant note of isolation or introspection to the scene. The figure’s presence is dwarfed by the enormity of the surroundings, emphasizing the scale and of the emotional theme of man versus nature or solitude. To the right, there appears to be a long, narrow structure, a pier or boardwalk, leading off into the distance, its purpose and destination left ambiguous. The use of watercolor is masterful, with the fluidity of the medium perfectly suited to convey the atmosphere and mood of the scene. The textures are soft and the edges blurred, contributing to the overall ethereal and introspective quality of the painting.

February 6, 2024

The Citrus Study painting features a still life composition with three objects that appear on a table. On the left is a green lime, partially blending from green to a yellowish hue, indicating ripeness or a variation in color typical of certain lime varieties. In the middle, there’s a red mug or cup with a visible handle on the right, suggesting it’s meant for a right-handed person to pick up easily. The mug’s rim is white, indicating the inside color and the reflection of light. On the right, there’s a lemon with a bright yellow color, indicative of its ripeness and tartness. The background and surface are in muted dark tones, with the surface reflecting a bit of light, giving a sense of a shadowed room. The painting style is textured, with visible brushstrokes marks, which give it a tactile quality. The color palette is quite naturalistic, with a strong contrast between the brightly colored objects and the dark background, drawing attention to the subjects of the still life.

February 3, 2024

The Mac Reflections painting depicts a close-up impressionism portrait of myself, rendered with a strong emphasis on texture and a limited color palette, to show it’s reflective nature. My figure is implied to be emerging from a dark background, with light only faintly illuminating the right side of the face. The strokes are expressive and sculptural, creating an array of thick, impasto strokes that give the image a dynamic and tactile quality. My expression is pensive and subdued, with eyes cast downward and away from the viewer, adding to the painting’s introspective quality. The overall effect is one of profound reflection, with the textured brushwork and dramatic chiaroscuro suggesting a moment captured in time, where the inner world of my personal subject is as significant as the outer representation. It’s a powerful image that invites the viewer to consider the subject’s thoughts and feelings.

January 19, 2024

Fry’s Tree portrays a solitary, robust tree standing prominently in the center against a twilight or pre-dawn sky. Set in the Fry Family Park, of East Sparta Ohio. The leaves and branches creates a lace-like pattern against the sky, which shifts from a dark blue at the top to lighter hues near the horizon, indicating dusk or the approach of nightfall. There’s a sense of tranquility and solitude in this scene, as the tree stands alone in the quiet moments of transition between day and night.