On a business trip to Seattle, had to drive past this carwash sign every day. Got a kick out of it. Snapped shots in the morning (on the way to meetings) and at night (on the way back to the hotel) to create this scene. See also “Seattle Pink Elephant – Day.” Found out later that this sign has inspired a number of artists/photographers.

Used reference photos shot along a Jersey Shore boardwalk to create this piece.

Used reference photos shot along a Jersey Shore boardwalk to create this piece. Don’t know what this plant is actually called, but love the orange/reddish fruit contrasted against the magenta/pink flowers.

Any Penn State grad has burned a few hours over grilled “stickies” at Ye Olde College Diner, now known as the College Diner. The place has changed ownership and menus over the years, but the grilled stickies have remained. Loved the neon in the diner’s entrance against the dark, cool colors of the evening sky.

I’m a big fan of the Philly boxing scene. A few years ago, the venue changed to a club in South Philly, right under a major highway. A block away from the club is a famous local cheesesteak place – Tony Luke’s. Captured a reference shot for this painting after the fights. Was midnight, but the place was still hopping. If you want to truly experience Philly, a cheesesteak at midnight from a walk-up stand is a great way to do it.

This painting is a view of The Corner Room Restaurant as seen from Old Main Lawn at Penn State University (“Go Big Blue!”). My oldest daughter encouraged me to snap a photo of this corner. She was drawn to the variety of colors and glow of the restaurant windows.

Used reference photos shot along the highway in the Western part of Virginia to create this piece. These flowers were growing in the highway median. Word to the wise – it’s not a good idea to pull off and take shots of these flowers. It’s hard to keep a steady hand when cars are wizzing past a few feet from your rear.

Stacey’s cousin is a great guy. Graduated from college a few years ago and is enjoying single life. He joined me and a couple of other older guys in our family at a bar one night. Needled him about the opposite sex – encouraged him to share some of his pick up lines. Said his favorite is “My name’s Leonard. I’m a rodeo clown.” Probably the worst pick up line I’ve ever heard. Not sure if he’s even seen a live bull in his life. Couldn’t let it rest, and used it as inspiration for this portrait of him.

I call this a “study,” but I created this small painting after I completed the larger “Eiffel Tower Carousel.” Eiffel Tower Carousel took a number of hours to complete. Brushstrokes used to create it were pretty tight, and I paid attention to detail. Wanted to see if I could create a looser, more relaxed version of this scene and do so in a couple of hours. This is the outcome.

One of 3 paintings created for Airgas’ 2006 Holiday Cards (See also “Extra Run” and “The Extra Mile.”) Was going for a Thomas Kinkade/Terry Redlin vibe in these paintings.