The Assignment

Exit - February 1983 - acrylic on canvas - 34 x 40 inches

This is one of my favorite all-time paintings. I thinks it's because of the feeling that I still get from it. I get a buzz from it. As If I can get stoned just by looking at it. I remember when I had the idea for this one. I was at a friends place putting a puzzle together and I was assigned the sky. I was just about to put in the final piece when I thought, that once I place this piece in, the sky will all get fused together and nothing will be able to come in from the other side, as all the openings will be closed. So this was the moment of their last chance. I remember even hesitating before placing this last piece, perhaps only because I did not want to be finished my assignment.

Man In A Maze - January 1983 - pencil crayon on paper - 20 x 26 inches

Worlds Apart

 Different Worlds - Dec 1982 - pencil crayon on paper - 12 x 20 inches

For some reason, ashtrays end up in my work quite a bit....and cigarettes too, even though I don't smoke. They are usually glass ashtrays. I guess I like drawing (or painting) all the reflections. This pencil crayon drawing above holds my first rendition of an ashtray along with an early inkling towards  an interest in candy wrappers. This drawing represents one of those drifting off moments...deep in thought. I am often contemplating the space between being here and not being here and the space between my own concrete eyes and what I am looking at (or what is in front of me) materially-concrete-wise. Confused yet? The space between the body and the being.
    

Judgement - Dec 1982 - acrylic on canvas - 34 x 40 inches

I was going through a lot of questions while painting this one. A lot of religious and spiritual struggle happening in my life at the time. The hand of God and the hand of Lucifer in a tug-o-war for my being.  God has a better grip on things. This painting was the beginning of a series of works of which I only got to a couple of so far.

Under The Influence

Humynx - March 1982 - pencil crayon on matt board - 22 x 28 inches

Green Flyes - March 1982 - acrylic on illustration board - 15 x 20 inches

When I started to create my own work I was under the influence of so many other artists. I liked so many! Hence the divergent paths that were yet to come. Since the beginning there was Roger Dean, Frank Frazetta and Michael Whelan in the Fantasy vein of things. I think Whelan comes out the most in these two works. I would really like to redo the sky in Green Flyes. Also I would like to point out that the image you see here is a scan of the original 8x10 worn out photograph I've been carrying in my binder all these years.