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Art for the Homeless

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A surreal painting of a woman in the foreground with a road extending into the distance. Two smaller figures appear further down the road. The sky is filled with vibrant, swirling clouds in shades of purple, yellow, and red above a twilight horizon. Trees line the road in this Art for the Homeless piece.

I’ve been doing random acts of kindness for the homeless for a while now, 2-3 lunches instead of just mine, coffee for my man hanging in Starbucks to keep warm, a buck or two here and there… 

I’m going to say this up front, I’m not tooting my own horn. 

I firmly believe that in telling people you do these acts of kindness; it lessens the value of the act with any higher powers that may be out there. I’d rather keep it simple, but I have a project that is growing.  

You see, I’m putting together backpacks for the homeless in the Washington D.C. and Maryland area. 

 In each backpack is a warm blanket, a Mylar blanket for the cold nights, a magnesium Firestarter, two pairs of socks, a rain poncho, a copy of the ‘SAS Survival Guide’, basic toiletries, food & water, and a little extra for train fare (in case it gets too cold out – you can ride the Metro all day). If I find camping / survival deals on Amazon, I’ll include them in the bags.

Why do this?

I’m an artist at heart, and I want my work to mean something; not just end up (possibly) making someone millions in the future when I’m long departed. Selling art now to fund this program seems to be a very cool thing in my mind.  

Most homeless don’t want to be where they are. Some have problems with drugs, alcohol, or mental health issues. Others have been out on the fringe of society for so long that they don’t know or want to reintegrate with society. I give them the benefit of the doubt in every case.  

How you fit in?  

I’m going to sell each original work I do for $99 dollars plus shipping. If you purchase a work, I’ll give you the opportunity to add extra donations to the purchase via PayPal (how I can take credit cards and keep my inbox safe). All of this money will all go to making packs for the homeless. 

 So far each backpack is averaging around $50, even by trolling Amazon for the $10 backpacks and blankets. If the project grows too big, I’ll have to start a non-profit.

I’ll have the first four ready to go on Monday (most of the initial gear is en-route). My plan is to carry one to work or each time I go into the city. When I find a suitable candidate (I can tell between those truly in need and the ones that get in a Lexus at the end of the day), I’ll give them the pack.

Final note,

You don’t have to buy my art to do this, you can do it on your own too.    

Berries

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A vibrant painting depicts abstract red flowers and berries on green stems against a background of swirling yellow, blue, and green hues. The bold, textured strokes create a lively and colorful composition.

“Berries”, a fluff piece really; designed to get me painting again. I’d lost the Muse for a moment, so I just went with what I felt. This is a combination of acrylics, extremely watered down to look like… errr, watercolors. I then used some spray painting (nice fumes on that one) with stencils and these odd polystyrene balls I found at Michael’s. To finish it off, I used fingers to paint what the balls could not. I’m hoping the brilliance of the reds hold when the paints dry. This is 18×24 and is multimedia.

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Castle S

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A misty, ethereal landscape painting depicting a medieval castle with pointed towers and rooftops. The background is shrouded in fog, creating a mysterious atmosphere. Warm autumn foliage surrounds the structures, adding a touch of color.

I’ve completed another painting. I’m experimenting with fog / mist. It’s a process. I didn’t do so well on this one; hence ‘Castle S’. I’m going to call it a practice piece for the next work,  in which this will be the background for the action in that scene. This is 16 x 20, acrylic and spray paint on canvas. If you’re interested, I’ll let it go for $100.

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Gathering of Souls

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A vibrant painting depicts a dark blue bird mid-flight against a colorful, abstract background. The background, reminiscent of a Gathering of Souls, features dynamic, multi-colored brushstrokes in green, yellow, red, and more. Additional smaller blue birds can be seen flying in the distance.

‘Gathering of Souls’: People once believed that when someone dies in battle, a raven flies at dusk to carry their soul to the land of the dead.

This is a rescue painting. Originally it was going to be a geometric design based on the Old Futhark rune for prosperity, which looks like an angular version of those ‘support x’ magnets you see on the back of cars. It would have been entitled “The Tree of Othala”, which is the name of the rune.

Unfortunately, I’m not Cezanne and kind of messed up; so I went in another direction.
I can do better but I wanted to show that not everything we do as artists is that great. Still, I’m curious as to thoughts on it?

Castle’s Fall

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Nestled in the hills overlooking the sleepy valley, the Sandmen of Castle Dream-guard keep watch on the distance.  For in the far-off mists the armies of the nightmare realm gather for their nefarious purposes.

The castle is modeled on my favorite, Lichtenstein Castle.

Spray Paint and Acrylic on Canvas, 18 x 24.  Unframed. Available for purchase here.

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Harvest Knights

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A surreal painting depicts a vibrant, oversized orange moon against a pink and purple sky. In the foreground, a lush landscape with tall, dark trees and dense foliage evokes the Rites of Spring. A small arched bridge crosses a tranquil stream, with mysterious ruins to the right.

“Harvest Knights” Acrylic and Spray Paint on Canvas, 18 x 24. Deep in the night, under the blood moon a pair of knights rush along a deserted road, past ruins of long forgotten folk towards an urgent engagement. At least that’s the idea. The skills never match the concept.

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Rites of Spring

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A surreal painting depicts two gnarled trees with twisting, leafless branches against a dramatic gradient sky, reminiscent of the Rites of Spring. The ground is covered in warm-toned, orange-brown grass, with a small patch of vibrant green plants and colorful flowers in the foreground.

Deep in the night as the vernal equinox reaches its apex; while the moon blankets the land in cold light; the sleeping children of Nature stir.  The trees begin the dance of awakening, twisting and undulating in reverent celebration.  Their movement coaxes the Earth Mother to coalescence; like the creation of a galaxy, swirling, spinning, concentrating the forces of life against those of decay. The first buds begin to bloom, a supernova of light their birth cry – Spring has arrived.

That was the thought.  I’m fascinated with the pagan past of humanity, wrapped in rich mysticism which is completely the opposite of the modern fascination with the cold facts of science.  This interest is reflected in this painting.

P.S. There are no people in the painting.

The painting itself is a mix of spray paint and acrylic brushwork.  It is flawed, at least I see the big flaw, but until I figure out how to fix it without destroying the composition, I guess its finished.  The dimensions are 18 x 24. It’s for sale at $200 plus shipping (should be about $20, I’ll pick up anything above that).

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January; A Light Study

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A painting of a bare tree and a vintage streetlamp against a vivid, swirling sky with shades of red, purple, blue, and black. The tree’s branches are twisted and reach towards the streetlamp, which emits a gentle glow. This evocative scene offers an eerie yet beautiful light study reminiscent of January nights.
Okay, I’m leaving this one like it is and starting another. I like the forlorn nature of the #painting. A cold January evening, as the last rays of the light ephemerally touch the clouds, the tree embraces the cold brilliance of the street lamp in hopes of seeing the Sun again. I was going to #paint leaves reacting with the #light, but that’s for another time. It’s spray-paint and #acrylic on #canvas, 18 x 24 and part of a #series of light studies I’m doing.
Because, #art.DSC_0274

Flanders Fields Forever

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Flanders Fields Forever. This piece commemorates the lives lost in the great European wars, and Europe’s eventual turn to unity. It is also a rebuke of this century’s tempest, where those twisted souls who would shed blood in the name of God, no matter by what name he is called, are rebuked and their bloodshed turned to timeless poppies.
The work is 16 x 20, Acrylic on canvas. I used a variety of transfer media, from brushes, templates, to power tools, to kitchen tools, and gravity herself in order to achieve the effect.
Comments welcome. The piece is for sale, please contact me for information.
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#art #Artist #painting #Flanders #EU #Europe #France #Germany #Belgium #UK #WorldWar #Terrorism #CurrentEvents #God #Allah #Peace