Pigeon Fancy!

Experimenting with our new camera while enjoying a lovely after Thanksgiving dinner bike ride.  I noticed a flock of pigeons perching on a local water tower.  They become a point of inspriation and Pigeon Fancy was born.  Let me know what you think and if you are intersted in a little Pigeon Fancy for yourself, she is on sale here!

Snow Day - by Brent Rodgers

Last week's "snow day" was a perfect day to stay home and make art.  I continued to work on a new painting, while Brent was busy being inspired by the slushy intersection next to our house.   Brent's newest addition to his Fruitville Girls series is appropriately titled Snow Day.   This piece seems to be about troubled youth at a crossroads... Or two young stylish ladies carrying home a doomed six pack of ale. 

To buy this new print or to see more of Brent's girls, click here!

Thank you so much,
Derek

Working on a selfish portrait

It's freezing in the studio today!  The heater dries my palette out, so I bundle up to paint.  And yes, I crocheted the hat.

I'm working on a new painting, a reflection of my grade school self playing a game of cat's cradle.  Although I haven't painted the string wrapping around the fingers, yet, the subject will be inviting you to play.   I guess he's saying "it's your turn".  A simple piece of string can become a complex formation, with a little help...

I'll post more when I'm done.
 -Derek

Zombies Love Brains - A Halloween Treat by Derek Cadena

I created this piece earlier in the year, after I heard news of a Texas highway road-sign that was hacked. The sign(s) read something like "zombies ahead" and "run for your lives". So inspired by the story, I had to paint! The original small artwork is one of my faves, however, I am making 8x10" mounted digital prints for our etsy and ebay stores.

Thank you - Derek

Finishing touches on - The Golden Judge

I'm almost done with this mixed-media painting that I've named The Golden Judge. A piece inspired by last week's project and the book Some Exits by Travis Cebula.

Thanks,
Derek

Finished Autumn Landscape Made With Cabbage Leaf

Although this project started with Tuesdays post with images of the painting progression, start to finish... I don't have the images of the last few steps. I had pictures of finger painting the clouds and adding glazes of ocher, red, and blue... Well, I accidentally deleted those images. Oops!

Here is the finished landscape that started with a dried cabbage leaf and grass that I varnished on to a wood box canvas (see previous blog post). I am very pleased with the finished piece!

On Wednesday I made Vietnamese pork served on a bed of shredded cabbage (the very same cabbage) with a delicious carrot pickle, fresh mint and peanuts. Delicious!!!

Cheers,
Derek

Autumn Tree - A Mixed Media Journey

I am starting on a new mixed media landscape with leaves and grass pressed and varnished on to a wood box style canvas. A friend who liked some of my past works of grassy mixed media abstracts recently commissioned me to do a piece with a Autumn theme. So, I thought it would be a good idea to share the creative process of this project.

I began by searching for organic materials that would work for a landscape design. I collected leaves from my garden and grass from the park. I pressed a large cabbage leaf until dry and flat and trimmed the grass that had dried and seeded in to shapes and sizes that would work for the design I had in mind. I want to convey a breezy Autumn moment, with a swaying tree and swirling grass or leaves floating off the canvas and out of view, imparting a lot of movement. I arranged my found materials in to a pleasing composition and varnished them in to place with poly-urethane (it dries quickly). Next I started laying in color on top and around the grass and cabbage leaf, which is now a tree.

I will finish this piece over the next couple of days and post the last steps with a image of the finished painting on Friday.

Cheers,
Derek