Tag: poem

Rolling on…

by Brian Sostrom, posted in Uncategorized
Morning Wave 21”x8” acrylic on panel

My small wave paintings continue! This is an aspect ratio that is interesting to work with. It is well suited for something as potentially horizontal as waves breaking.

My next step will be to start the actual commission. That painting is much larger, 60″x23″. Sort of a challenge dealing with a hefty oddly shaped panel.. I tend to flip paintings around and move them about the studio… trying to see it with fresh eyes. Some people keep a small mirror around to see it in reverse. That is something I used to do with digital paintings, flip them. Maybe I need a mirror…

Enjoy your weekend!

Friday!

by Brian Sostrom, posted in Uncategorized
Crushing 19.5”x9.5” acrylic on board

Friday is just another day for me these days. One advantage of the winter in North Idaho, it encourages me to be hold up in the studio!

I am playing around with some waves trying to capture the sense of power and beauty. I will be starting on a large commission and wanted to do some experimenting first. This painting isn’t the direction I will be taking but it is an interesting piece.

Waves rolling in the studio

by Brian Sostrom, posted in Uncategorized
Time’s Cycle 21”x8” acrylic on panel

I have been swamped with work lately, my studio is a mess but no time to pause. I am doing some wave studies in preparation for a large commission. This first go is the same aspect ratio as the final painting. Giving me a chance to play around with some compositions and color schemes.

Boom

by Brian Sostrom, posted in Uncategorized
Distant Thunder 14”x11” acrylic on wood panel

I am continuing my recycling of boards. Half a dozen paintings I liked but not enough to keep have been stripped off to become something new!

I am really pretty addicted to apocalyptic cloud formations. The beauty and power are fascinating. This one is small but mighty!

From the ashes

by Brian Sostrom, posted in Uncategorized
Binding Light 14”x11” acrylic on wood panel

I destroyed half a dozen paintings I decided not to put into my solo show. I like to let paintings breathe for a while and see them fresh. So often you feel an energy and excitement from work, that usually fades. If a painting doesn’t intrigue me after hanging around the studio for weeks it is probably not worth keeping. Sometimes I will deeply love elements of a piece but it has to be compelling as a whole. Once in a while a painting just needs a little extra work to bring it all together. Sometimes that little extra is the final blow…

So I destroyed a painting, this is the new painting on the same panel. Now I can’t remember for sure what was originally on this board but I know this is stronger. Will it stick around? Time will tell.

New Start

by Brian Sostrom, posted in Uncategorized
Mystic Distance 12”x16” acrylic on wood panel

I have shipped all of my recent work to Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento. Now I am making a new start! I have some commissions I need to work on, those start next week. I will take the remainder of this week just to paint.

Time erodes everything, painting offers occasional moments of ascent.

Taking another look…

by Brian Sostrom, posted in Uncategorized
Down the River 20”x16” acrylic painting

I revisited a painting from late 2018 that I wasn’t entirely satisfied with. I am gathering paintings for my February solo show making hard decisions. This particular piece was on the edge but now it will be attending the exhibit! The show is at the Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento, California.

Epic

by Brian Sostrom, posted in Uncategorized
Weight 30”x24” acrylic paint on wood panel

I have a number of 30″x24″ panels primed for painting, I love working at this scale. Large enough that you have a sense of freedom moving around the surface but not so large that it is awkward in the studio. I did have to stand on a chair to get far enough away for a photo, so a little awkward!

I am pretty obsessed with brooding epic scenes. I keep getting wound up about new ideas but I realize this is a common thread.