I am a German Expressionist at heart!

My mother was half German, so it is only natural that a German Expressionistic side would show up in my art at some point. The objects and other paintings I do are usually done in a more precise, controlled manner, but in this series of small paintings of women (begun in the middle 1980's) I let my expressionistic side go wild, with lots of distortions, odd proportions, unusual perspectives and harsh lines, with a dash of evil, all characteristics of German Expressionism.

Erin Carmean's beautiful art

Erin Carmean (who is my daughter) makes these intricate felt tip pen drawings of flower/mandala like forms, that can be categorized in the "zen doodle" genre of contemporary art. She has been working in this style for about five years now, with the drawings evolving into more complex and elaborate pieces as time passes. The image with the circular red patterning is a detail of a larger piece and nicely shows the intricacy of her technique. The drawings are all done in felt tip pens, some of which are on metallic gold, copper and silver hues, which help give the drawings more radiance. The drawings effectively invoke the opulence that can be seen in the late 1800's artist Gustav Klimpt's patterning in his paintings.

The wit and poetry in Japanese kanzashi

The Japanese over the centuries have distinguished themselves by their cultivation of humor, fine design and poetry within their art. In fact, these qualities are what originally attracted me to kanzashi. As an artist I found myself entranced by the variety of expression within these beautifully crafted pieces.

The poetic aspect of kanzashi can be seen the top silver hair ornament with the clamshell, which is traditionally can also suggest a woman. When opened up, inside the shell is a gold crab! It startles the viewer and the immediate instinct is to laugh with surprise. The second ornament of a similar theme features a clamshell and the knife used to pry open clams. It’s moveable parts open to reveal a pearl inside. Symbolic objects are frequently seen on kanzashi which enhance the expression and meaning of each piece. The tortoise comb with a fishing rod can be seen as a metaphor for the game of love. The image of a rod implies the hooking and the reeling in of one’s "catch". A fish is considered “yin” and suggests the feminine (also yin) while the male aspect (yang) is symbolized by the pole along with the action of catching the fish. The crow, a common bird that has a loud caw and bad manners, ends up as on a red lacquer hair comb as an elegant adornment for a woman of position and beauty. The juxtaposition of what is considered ugly played with utmost beauty becomes a poetic statement. So, to really enjoy Japanese kanzashi it is necessary to see them not only as finely crafted decorative objects, but also as art works which have more subtle meanings.

Tribal Belly Dancer Drawings

This series of drawings inspired by the well known tribal belly dancer Rachel Brice whose brilliant dancing style influenced the world of belly dance. Tribal belly dance is different and "darker" than its traditional counterpart, blending tradition with contemporary street dance and fashions.

In this series of paintings and drawings, I try to really play with form and distort it so as to bring out the character of the dancers. Their beauty is not conventional, rather they are "outsiders" in every sense of the word with their unique bodies that defy mainstream ideals.