Getting there, slowly.

A little more than five hours of work today to complete, at least for the moment, the lower portion of this work. I will most likely come back to the water and rocks before completing the work just to tighten things up a bit and pull out some nice dark highlights, but for now, the lower half is done!

Texture, texture everywhere . . . .

Some more work on the current piece. This work is rapidly becoming an exercise in textural components and contrast. As I have said before in the pages of this blog, texture and contrast are two of the compositional elements that we who work in black and white have avaliable to us to help define the work, draw attention to where we want attention drawn and generally 'activate' the work. I have always found working on various textural aspects in a single piece to be challenging and gratifying at the same time. This one is certainly going to finish up in the 'challenging' category!

Did I say something about rocks yesterday?

Another slice through the work today. Rocks, rocks everywhere!

Here are the first glimmers of the new work on the drawing board. Another of the bridge series, this one is going to take some time - lots of 'stuff' going on in this one, textures of all sorts!

An Artist for Africa

In a special issue of the current, Spring 2007, edition of the photographically beautiful magazine, Africa Geographic, I am most pleased and honored to have been selected as this quarter's 'Artist for Africa' by the African Wildlife Foundation (www.awf.org).

Several times during the year, AWF inserts a dozen or so pages of updates and news pertaining to their efforts in Africa on behalf of the peoples and animals of that wonderful continent. At those times, the organization designates an Artist for Africa, someone who has used African animals as subject matter for their works and who, in general, believes in and supports those issues which AWF tackles.

As stated in their mission statement on their web site, AWF 'is the leading international conservation organization focused solely on Africa'. Their belief that protection of Africa's wildlife and wild landscapes is the key to the future prosperity of the continent and its inhabitants, is the ever present goal of their work.

Today, AWF plays a major and important role in ensuring the continued existence of 'some of Africa's most rare and treasured species', including the mountain gorilla, elephant and rhinoceros, among others.

As someone who has travelled many times on that continent, gathering reference for work, meeting and finding great warmth in the people and always coming back home with an ache in my heart to take the next plane back, it is a very great honor for my works to be spotlighted in this wonderful publication and to be recognized alongside the many other fine, internationally known artists who have been honored in this way before me.

If you are of a mind to, please go to their web site, www.awf.org, read more about their work and the ongoing projects they are involved in and if you believe, as I do, that their work is important enough for your support, make a donation!

'Street Theater'

The new work, completed. The image size is 15" x 11".

The bridge, or more correctly bridge support, that was referenced for this work, was found in downtown Baltimore along the main line of the old Pennsylvania Railroad coming into town from the north. This old support structure was obviously on a siding off the main line, ties and rails removed long ago. Probably 'more information than you wanted to know', but some folks have been querying me as to where I have been getting my reference for these bridge pieces.

Another addition to the ongoing puzzle of this current work. I should be finishing this one up in the next day or two.

Puzzle piece #3 . . . .

Another little sliver of the current work on the board, in progress.

A new 'puzzle' begins today! Let's see how all the pieces will fit together . . .

'Faded Hopes'

The completed work . . . image size just shy of 18" x 12".

Today's addition . . . .

Puzzle time once again and today's piece of the current puzzle on the board. Happy July, all!