I continue with the small ballet paintings with the goal of starting a large canvas soon. Lately the subjects for my larger paintings have been concentrated on wildlife paintings because of looming deadlines for Leigh Yawkey Woodson's Birds in Art and the Bennington Center for the Arts' Art of the Animal Kingdom. However, I will soon change focus and hopefully paint a larger ballet painting.

Dance 4, Expression, 6" x 6", oil, (click to bid)

The desire to express one's self is as old as human history. Dance has always been one of the most powerful of those expressive outlets and ballet one of the most beautiful.
One of my goals is to be able to convey emotion on a small canvas. Working on small surfaces is difficult as you have limited space to communicate with. You must strive to make sure each stroke counts and your image is distilled or simplified to the most important details. That is always a challenge for any painter - what to leave in or leave out. It is a continual learning journey. I tried and hopefully captured some of the beauty and our desire to express ourselves.

Thanks for your visit

Waiting in the Wings

Relaxing (or trying to relax) before her dance. I love the contrast of the discipline and control seen on stage verses the apparent tranquil state of pre-performance. At first glance the dancers can seem to be in a state of nonchalance.

Waiting in the Wings, 6" x 6", oil  (click to bid)

As they are getting ready for the big moment, you would think they are completely relaxed. I am sure that at different times they are relaxed. But look a bit more closely in their eyes and you may see a different story. Having known many dancers, I know that at this time there is much going on. Maybe a time of switching from left to right brain activity as many of us artists do. A time of concentration, contemplation, and a time of handling nerves that have gone awry. And they make it look so easy and beautiful.

Thanks for your visit!

Dance Study

I have always loved ballet and other types of dance. When I attended The University North Carolina School of the Arts in high school I played in the ballet orchestra during performances of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and many other classics. Of course, down in the orchestra pit you really cannot see much, but I also managed to experience quite a few practices and performances outside of the pit.

Dance, 6" x 6", oil on linen  (click to bid)

The dancers are really amazing athletes! All of their grace really takes a great deal of strength and agility. Besides the dancers, I have always loved the magic and mystery of the stage lighting. It is instrumental in setting the scene and I love how it falls on the dancers as they move through the atmosphere it creates. My intent with this painting is to study and hopefully reproduce the dancers and their interaction with the lighting. Thanks so much for taking time to visit and I hope you enjoy Dance.