I've been toying with a new abstract direction and stumbled upon this illustrative, almost folk-art style. After producing the Route 1 series, which was a heavily planned, long-term, all-consuming project, I found myself wanting to break away and paint in the moment. I was working on an abstract piece (below), and followed my gut. I saw buildings in the colors and shapes and proceeded to draw a fictional city on the painted surface with an archival ink pen.

What I find interesting about this work is that I have tapped into a naturally whimsical, childish side, one that I didn't know existed up there in the painting section of my right lobe. I've often been told I act like a child, but never that I paint like a child. Above is the second piece in the style, and on the easel there are the makings of what resembles a tree. That could change.

I know it behooves me as a marketable artist to stay within my genre/style of painting, but I feel compelled to explore. It's funny that there would be any hesitation to try new things. The notion that sticking with what works goes against every natural law of art. I guess that makes me a renegade, a maverick if you will. I can see an abstract Russia through my canvas... We'll see where it goes.