My first painting of 2015 has just been completed. Entitled "Duende", it will exhibit from February 3 through February 27 at The Vogt Visual Arts Center in Tinley Park, IL. The opening reception for this show is on Saturday, February 7 from 1pm to 4pm. Hope to see you at the show!

It has been in the works for some time but the painting is now really taking form. My new painting, entitled "Duende", explores the feeling of passion. I've always been aware of the importance of living life with passion. Of going into each day with a willingness to live your day to the fullest, as if this could be your last. To not just be in the moment, but to give yourself to the moment as well.

For this painting, I am using symbolism. The feeling of passion represented by an image of flamenco. Flamenco has often seemed to me a most passionate art form. The music, the singing, the dancing all come together and pull you in and dare you to feel.

Duende is the mysterious power of art to move a person. In flamenco, it relates to the power or ability of the dancer to convey strong emotion to the audience. Just like with all my art, I hope the viewer will connect with this painting and feel something too. Being a passionate person is the only way I know how to exist. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy New Year! What I love about the new year are all the new opportunities that have yet to be revealed. Which is why I think it's so important to keep an open mind and heart.

A little secret about me... For a few years now I have made a tradition of watching "The Lord of the Rings" movies in the last few days of the year going into the new year. This year while watching the movies, I almost didn't continue watching. For a moment I forgot why I do this. But then it happened. I heard the line in the movie that reminded me why I like to watch at New Years.

"All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us."
(Gandalf said this to Frodo.)

And here it is. Boom! The thought that will carry me into the new year. And once this thought has become part of my thought process, I feel good and ready for whatever may come my way. Living in the moment. Feeling grateful. Doing your best every single day. Here I come 2015!

And what will you do with your time?

My approach to art is similar to my approach to life... just take it a day at a time. As excited as I am to begin work on this new painting, I've had a couple days of coming up empty while at the easel. This is not an unusual thing. I liken it to "writer's block" so I know better than to push things. From experience, I know it's all about the timing... so I'll just wait for it. Which is why I like the above quote from John Lennon so much. Planning is good, but I never like to get caught up in my plans. Being able to just go with the flow and take things as they come is more my style. I have plans for this painting, and in the end I know I'll get there- with the results I want. But what happens in between is where my passion lies- in living the moment. This is what makes the process of creating so fulfilling for me. And just like in life, I know that in living the moment is where I'll find the most joy. So I hope that the next time I get in front of the easel, the timing will be right and I'll be off to a good start. I'll keep you posted...

I love traveling and just spent a few days in Atlanta, Georgia. Every time I travel I find my senses heightened as I make curious observation of my new surroundings. You never know when inspiration will hit, so I'm always ready for new experiences. I'm preparing to begin work on a new piece for an upcoming show so the timing of this trip is ideal. I already feel a connection to this place since I'm a big fan of "The Walking Dead" TV show which is filmed here. In addition, some of my favorite people and things come from Georgia: Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, "Gone with the Wind", Waffle House, and... Shrimp and grits! Yes- I just discovered this delicacy, thanks to a southern gentleman who engaged my conversation and recommended I try this dish. Amazing! It was a bar-b-que style and simply superb! I'm a bit of a "foodie", so how did this delicious dish get past me?! My time in Atlanta rekindled my love for the south and also helped guide me towards the inspiration for this next piece. I hope to begin working on my new painting soon so look for more on this in the weeks to come.

Hello friends! There is good news to share... I just completed a new piece and it was accepted into a show today! So glad for this opportunity to show a brand new painting. The work is entitled "Blackbird (Mystic Crow)" and will be a part of the "Annual Small Works Exhibit" at the White Ripple Gallery in Hammond, IN. It is a juried exhibition featuring small works of art. Opening night is Saturday, November 8, so hope to see you there!

It's Sunday and an absolutely ideal day to be in the art studio... Working on a new painting while "The Walking Dead" marathon is playing on TV! The day is beautiful and sunny and I'm glad to have such great natural lighting to work with today. I am enthusiastic to get started on this new piece, which is an idea I have had for some time. Being able to finally get this idea out of me and into a tangible form is an awesome feeling! "The Walking Dead" is one of my favorite TV shows and somehow, this marathon of shows has proven to be the best backdrop to the work I am doing in front of the easel. Perhaps it's my excitement over the new season of the show starting today, but I am opting to keep the TV on and using the show's soundtrack as the "music" that fills my space. To be honest, I feel that the show's music has a lot to do with its success, especially during the more suspenseful sequences. The music for the show is written by Bear McCreary. When recording music for the show, he uses a lot of the same instruments that are used in classical music, such as piano and strings. Violin music is used quite often which I think works great with the show. He also works with musicians that are classically trained and he serves as conductor during these recording sessions. To me it's quite impressive that he brings this level of artistry to a show that airs once a week for several months of the year. In this way, I find it interesting that my own creativity is affected by another person's creativity. This creative energy is what keeps me motivated. And that, my friends, is what makes the creative process go 'round...

For those of you curious about any special meaning to the name of the site, I thought I would talk a bit about this. Indeed I spent some time deciding on a name, as I knew this would be a very special "project" for me and a great opportunity to share my art. But what to call this project? "ARTANA" became an ideal reflection of this-- the combination of my name with the art-- an expression of my connection to each piece. But "Project ArtAna" seemed incomplete to me... so I knew I needed to add the numbers "777" to bring it all together. I chose "777" as it seemed to fit my life philosophy so well. As I say in my introduction, I believe in taking chances, in "rolling the dice" if you will. My approach to my art is to create with no real intent or purpose -- to take an idea in its raw state and as this idea begins to take form on the canvas, I let things happen as they are meant to. I simply roll the dice and see where I end up. Part of that is allowing myself to ask "what if?". What if I... add more yellow? go with a larger canvas? use a wider brush? In this way I let things progress naturally, letting my instincts guide me. There is not too much planning in any of the work that I do, besides perhaps a little research when I have a need for it. For example, if I'm painting a flower, I may take a trip to a botanic garden or nature preserve to find inspiration for capturing the essence of the subject and perhaps take a few photos that will serve as a photo reference when I'm back in front of the easel.

Working in this way, I don't ever look back on a piece of my art and think, "Oh maybe I should've done it this way"... Once I'm done with a piece, I take a step back and both acknowledge and feel grateful for the results. Much as I do in life, I don't live with regret. At the end of the day I know that things happen the way they are supposed to happen.

Thanks for visiting my site! As the site is under construction, I will keep adding to the gallery and news feed so please come back and visit often! I am so excited to share my art and thoughts with you.

A few things about the site... When you look at the work, one thing you'll notice is that I included a mention of the music that I listened to while creating each piece. I love - absolutely LOVE- music and am always listening to it. So it seemed worthwhile to include this as the music was definitely part of the creative process in making each piece. It's always been interesting to me how music affects the mood we're in and can actually help us channel emotion. Especially when I'm painting... it's amazing to me how just that "right" song can give me the boost I need to push forward and know exactly where to lay each brush stroke-- how a certain melody can allow me to actually "see" the image in my mind and transfer that onto the blank canvas. Inspiration comes to me from the things I see, conversations I have, books I read-- really everywhere! But no doubt of all places I draw inspiration from, music is a powerful source.

I've had a few questions about the name of my site so I will talk about this next time... Until then, be happy and be well...