My Art Portfolio

I've recently had the chance to rekindle my hobby of painting this summer.  I was unemployed for most of it - which gave me time to reevaluate career paths and to paint. Painting is a forgiving creative art that allows me to design whatever I want, however I want. I've learned a few things this summer:

1) I will never be able to paint like Bob Ross. If you've never seen this guy, watch him. He creates masterpieces in flawless one-stroke motions and it always turns out beautiful. He accomplishes this in half an hour on PBS. Here he is painting a happy little glacier:

2) Trend: I tend to improve with each painting I do. But like any good parent, I have my favorites.

3) I'm more creative when I'm not trying to be. Creativity doesn't happen in a box. I painted one painting with very little planning in mind, which allowed me to freely release my creative energy. Maybe because I had no expectations going into it, I couldn't be let down. Regardless, it's a personal favorite.

4) Painting involves embracing mistakes and the unexpected. It's about trying for something, probably failing, but still making it work. Paint is a pretty powerful medium. It allows you to express, but it also allows you to hide. It sets a mood, it can harsh your mallow (think tacky colored walls). It's decorative, it's protective and it's pretty subjective.

Anyways, here's some of my work if you'd like to check it out. By all means, I'm open to peer critique.

Painted this instead of studying during 2nd year.
Granted, Rock Flour is a geographical formation.

My African sunset.

A friend challenged me to paint him and a friend on their bikes.
I accepted his challenge.
Unfortunately, he looks like Darth Vader on a bike.

This was 1 of a 3-part landscape scene.

I painted over the third scene.

I turned this one upside down and it looked way better.
The water used to be clouds.

This one is for a friend - it's kind of a surprise.
Too bad she subscribes to my blog.

Painted this one to match my bed colors.

This is the one where I let my creativity and lines go.
There was no plan.

Here's my super pro art kit. I've considered upgrading to a bigger box.