each with their own specific function. Occasionally, I will use
color pencils and technical ink pens to draw very intricate
details.
My experience with the airbrush began when I was a young
teenager building plastic model cars. During the years that I
had my graphic design business, I would occasionally use
this technique to create brochure illustrations for clients. I
never lost interest in the airbrush as an artistic tool.
Returning to it with no expectations has been fun.
All my paintings are designed to be three-dimensional using
multiple levels of masonite board. The frameless shapes of
the different levels give my paintings a free-floating,
three-dimensional effect. Click here to see an example of the
multilevel design. The masonite boards are meticulously cut,
sanded and prepared with a smooth gesso finish. They are
then painted with high quality acrylic airbrush paints and
finished with a clear protective coating.
While most of today's astronomical artwork adheres to a
digital and more scientifically accurate style, I choose to
pursue a more free-flowing approach. I try to create paintings
that are more abstract and a little surreal...paintings that
could be termed astronomical expressionism. None of my
paintings are computer enhanced. Each one is original and
will not be duplicated. Although I take an artistic license with
my paintings, I am a firm believer in presenting real science to
the general public. I never miss a chance to talk about
astronomy if I am standing next to my telescope or one of my
paintings.
I have also started working with scratchboard. The
scratchboards are professional-grade clay coated base
materials which have been coated with black india ink then
meticiously "scratched" to reveal the white background.
Other pieces use Claybord, which is just the clay-coated
board. I will airbrush or paint onto the clay surface, then
scratch to bring out the white. Additional coats of color tints
help add a sense of depth.
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