"Charcoal Portrait"

I apologize for not posting much lately. I haven't painted any oil paintings much because I've been painting walls & furniture for a home remodeling project. Painting is painting, but I have nothing new on canvas to share right now. The remodel should be done in a week or two. Here's a charcoal study from my past efforts to share. I like using charcoal with it's dark, rich blacks. Maybe it's time to start sketching again. I can think of several people to portray on paper. Especially my brother the ball player. I can visualize him now at the plate swinging the bat. Another idea to add to the project list!

"Red Flame Maple"

"Red Flame Maple"  18" x 24"  Oil on Canvas

I like trees, all kinds of trees, but especially Maple trees 

in the fall. The colors run from pale yellow to rich, deep 

crimson. The maple lined streets are a vision to behold. 

I'm awed by their brilliance. Red Flame Maples are a blend 

of bright orange-reds, warm pinks and golds. Just brilliant!
This painting kicks-off the turn to cooler weather in the 
Midwest and the parade of fall trees to come.

"Encore"

"Encore"  24" x 35"  Oil on Canvas

Concert goers have a distinct reaction when it comes to their favorite bands. Hands reach for the sky to convey their enjoyment and their faithful devotion to the band & the music. I think of arms in the air as standing ovations. Encouragement comes in many digit expressions! 

"The Stage"

"The Stage"   22" x 28"   Oil on Canvas

If you're an up-and-coming band, The Stage is where everyone aspires to be. Many opening bands try to win over the crowd before the featured band hits the stage.  And many do. This concert was in a slightly narrow, rectangular venue. People were close to one another, but it didn't seem to bother anyone. The place was hoppin' with excitement!

"The Pit" Sold

"The Pit"   24" x 36"   Oil on Canvas   SOLD

This crowd scene is another paintings from the Concert Series. The crowd is on the main floor in front of the stage, aka The Pit. I loved painting all these colorful people. You know them. They're your friends, your relatives, your neighbors, and when they're at a concert, it's magical! 

"Skully with Ear Armor"

"Skully with Ear Armor"  16" x 20"  Oil on Canvas

I was having a bit of fun with skulls, so I gave this one a mohawk and put some ear plugs in his ears. Ear plugs are a staple in our house. They've been dubbed, Ear Armor. They're taken to every concert to save our hearing. What'd you say? 

"Mohawk"

"Mohawk"  18" x 24"  Oil on Hardboard  SOLD

This is another painting from the Concert Series and it shows a mohawk that looked like it was coming right out of the top of his head. The spikes were approx. 4 to 5 inches tall, straight up. This back-side view represents the "chronic tall guy" who always stands in front of my husband at concerts. No matter where he stands the tallest man in the room perpetually takes the spot directly in front of him. We laugh at this fact every time it happens, which is extremely often!

"Mohawk Flame"

"Mohawk Flame"   22" x 27"  Oil on Hardboard

This Mohawked guy reminded me how hair can sometimes look like flames. His hairstyle was less rigged than some other mohawks I've admired. It had a carefree appeal.  Very cool or should I say red hot. 

"Shouting Mohawk"

"Shouting Mohawk"   24" x 21"  Oil on Hardboard

This painting is part of the Concert Series. This guy was up front, near the speakers at the NOFX concert at Royal Oak Music Theater. The spikes of his mohawk were very straight and flattened a bit. It gave me the impression of a Roman helmet. He was probably yelling, Encore, Encore!  

"Specs"

"Specs"   18" x 24"   Oil on Canvas

There is a great story behind this painting and I really hope I can do it justice. My husband, a Punk Rock music lover, took me to a NOFX concert at the Royal Oak Music Theatre a few years ago. I wasn't sure I was going to be as enthusiastic about this show as he was, but I decided I was going to soak up every bit of music and ambiance I could. Well, as it turned out, I loved the music, but I especially loved the atmosphere. There was so much high energy from the concert goers that I became fixated with people watching. I was enthralled with all the regalia and Mohawk haircuts at this event. They were so cool, so creative. Eye candy for the visual admirer!  The next day, I painted my expression of a Mohawk clad man that I saw.  That's how the Concert Series started. This concert goer, "Specs," had the glow of stage lights illuminating his superb Mohawk, beard & mustache. I treated the bald, muscular part of his skull in a fashion that reminded me of the flow of music. It wasn't until after this painting was hung in an exhibition that a viewer told me he thought I was inspired by the traditional Indian medicine belief of Chakras. Chakras are said to be rotating vortices of whirling fluid or air considered to be focal points for the reception and transmission of energies. Wow, unknowingly I was inspired!  Well, that's the story behind the start of the Concert Series.  For the next few days I'll share some work from that series. I hope you like them. If you're interested in purchasing one of these series pieces, please email me at dsgric@sbcglobal.net.

"Marley's Bar & Grill"

"Marley's Bar & Grill"  25" x 16"  Oil on Hardboard

This painting will never be for sale. I have very special memories associated with this painting that was done some 10 years ago. My sister-in-law and her husband owned Marley's Bar & Grill on Walnut St. in Manistique. It's in a really cool old building that I had wanted to capture on canvas the moment I saw the place. In the deep days of winter in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan I decided to paint it Plein Air. (Painting out-of-doors, on site, not in a studio.) Great idea, until it got a bit too cold, so I ended up painting from the back of my large Ford Van. My field easel worked out well when I condensed it to a table-top size and placed it in the back end of the van. When I couldn't take the cold one more minute, I went into Marley's and had hot cocoa, a snack or lunch. (They took such good care of me!) It turned out to be so much fun. Anyway, this is the product of that experience and the days I spent with my wonderful nieces and in-laws. The town has changed a bit over the years. Some of the stores aren't the same, but that's the beauty of this painting. It's a moment in time and I documented it. I also like this painting because I tried to paint this in the spirit of the Impressionist style. I don't usually create artwork in that style, but I had read a book on the Ashcan Artists of New York and I was inspired to try my hand at it. I think this has a mood of that 1900s era. Below is the book on the Ashcan Artists.

"Moonrise Over the Water"

"Moonrise Over the Water"  11" x 14"  Oil on Hardboard

Have you ever seen the moon when it's translucent?  So pale in it's appearance that you take a double take. Is it there or not. Or is it a water spot on the lens of your glasses. You wipe your glasses and look again. It's just hovering there hoping to be noticed, begging to be remembered. I created this painting to remind me of the haze of the day and the subtleness of the moon. See this painting hanging at the Raymond James office at 350 S. Main St., Suite 100 (at the corner of Williams St.) in Ann Arbor, MI, with a few of my other paintings until Friday, October 29th. 

"Tea Cup - Spring Green"

"Tea Cup - Spring Green"   6" x 6"   Oil on Hardboard

The color of this tea cup reminds me of Spring. It has a blue-green cast to it and that reminds me of new buds on trees and pale green grass. I've always thought of this shade of green as Spring Green. 

This demitasse cup was made by Royal Copenhagen Denmark. 

"Tea Cup - Sunflower Yellow"

"Tea Cup - Sunflower Yellow"  6" x 6"  Oil on Hardboard

This is a Demitasse, a small coffee cup. The word Demitasse is of French origin and literally means half-cup. This small cup & saucer was my mother's and is very special to me. On the bottom of the cup it says, Royal Copenhagen Denmark  # 976/ 9535/ EX.  I believe the 976 means this cup was number 976 made out of 9,535 total.  I guess that means it's not very valuable, but I love it just the same. I have another cup, identical in every way, except it's green.  If I finish painting it today, I'll post it tomorrow. Till then, pass the cream & sugar please!

"Tea Cup - Cherries Jubilee"

"Tea Cup - Cherries Jubilee"  6" x 6"  Oil on Hardboard

I'm back from a fantastic trip to Boston, Mass. This year has been a whirlwind of travel. I've visited more states this year than I've ever visited before. This trip was especially fun! We went to a special event at Fenway Park (home of the Red Sox); saw Paul Revere's house (did you know he had 16 kids!); saw some old headstones at the Old Granary Burial Ground Cemetery (John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere are there); walked through the Boston Commons (a park with Swan boats & a Frog Pond); visited the Boston Museum of Fine Art; ate seafood at The Union Oyster House; and attended a conference. Yep, I'm livin' the life thanks to the cruise director! Bless him!

Well, it's back to painting. In honor of the Boston Tea Party, here's another piece in the Tea Cup series. This fine china is strikingly beautiful. It has an opalescent surface where the cherry design is painted and it has gold on the handle, rim & lip. Truly a treasure! 

"Flying V"

"Flying  V"  16" x 20"  Oil on Canvas

Let me tell you about this painting! My nephew, a guitar 

playing genius, came for a visit. I talked him into picking 

up a paint brush and taking a stab at painting. That's how 

this artwork started. Tyler painted the guitars and the word 

"Flying" for the type of the guitars, Flying V. Then he had 

to go home, so I asked him if I could paint on it. The artwork 

was now a collaboration! Taking Tyler's lead, I added a guitar 

neck with frets, the letter "T" to stand for his name and the 

guitar player. I was inspired to use an elongated figure with 

a downward tilt to the head and shades of blue by Pablo 

Picasso's The Old Guitarist. The result melded two visions, 

two guitars and two styles. I signed it with both our names 

at the bottom. It was a great combination of efforts I'd 

gladly do again. To see my inspiration, here's Picasso's 

painting from 1903 below. 

"Organic Teapot"

"Organic Teapot"  Fired Potter's Clay & Glaze  9" x 14"

Even though I've channeled my artistic attempts to painting, 

I've dabbled in other areas too, such as pottery. The teapot 

in the photo shown here is from an exhibition I had at Jean 

Paul Slusser Gallery in Ann Arbor, MI. It's one of my favorite 

pieces. It forms an almost mudslide effect, quite organic, 

hence the title. If I was asked to have an art show of only 

artwork that best defines me as an artist, this teapot would 

be included in that show. Should I write this down so the 

curator of my posthumous exhibition will include it? 

"Church Goat"

"Church Goat"  16" x 20"  Oil Monotype on Paper

Inspiration sometimes comes from seeing other artist's 

works. This painting is the reflection of my time spent 
admiring paintings by Marc Chagall.  Included in my 
imagery; a Duomo (Italian Cathedral), a Basilica (Roman 
Political Building), a Goat, the Moon, and an Olive Tree 
blowing in the breeze. All these juxtaposing images were 
influenced by an art exhibition I saw in Florence, Italy 
featuring Marc Chagall's paintings. His playfulness 
emphasized a positive quality. One that I really wanted 
to try to emulate. Whether I achieved that or not, 

I surely had fun.  

"Flower Boxes"

"Flower Boxes"  16" x 20"  Oil on Canvas

Today, I'm sharing a painting I finished a while ago. 

One January, I was experiencing a bit of painter's block. 

I blamed it on the gloomy weather of the Midwest in 

January as the culprit. I decided to paint a flower a 

day for 16 days to see if I could get back on track and 

it worked! During the painting process, I became 

acutely aware of how my style changed from day to 

day while I was painting. A few flowers are fast and 

loose, some are bold, while others are tight and fussy. 

It was a good exercise and I learned a lot about my 

painted expressions on canvas. 

"Attic Windows"

"Attic Windows"  Oil/Canvas Weaving  28" x 48"   Sold

I spent yesterday afternoon with two wonderful artists, 
Katherine and Barbara. There's something about sharing 
artwork and discussing ideas with fellow artists that urges 
you to stretch your skills and pick up your paint brushes 
as soon as they pull out of your driveway. These two 
talented women gave me the gift of their "first reaction" 
when they viewed my work. The first reaction is always 
the best. Good or bad, it's honest and very revealing. 
Thank you ladies! 
The painting above is "Attic Windows." It's a painted 
canvas weaving inspired by a very old quilting pattern 
called Attic Window. This 3-dimensional presentation 
has lots of nooks & crannies. I especially like the 
movement of the colors.

"Tea Rose Tea Cup"

"Tea Rose Tea Cup"  8" x 8"  Oil on Hardboard

I'm painting a few tea cups while the paint dries on a few of the larger paintings I'm working on.  I borrowed some fabulous tea cups from my sister-in-law.  I think they're family heirlooms.  They are delicate and of the finest china.  Just beautiful!  I love tea.  All different kinds.  These tea cups just enhance the tea time experience.