Painting: A New Medium, New Energies

Although Bob's traditional medium has been serigraphy, since the beginning of the year he has been working in acrylic and collage on paper. Partly this has been due to the conversion of his printing process from oil-based to water-based materials, which may take the rest of the year.

In his new work he has been combining transparent watercolor techniques with traditional opaque oil painting techniques, throwing in collage elements for good measure. Some pieces, such as The Fall of Jerusalem (left), have been dominated primarily by collage elements, while others, such as Return of the King (below), employ layers of colored tissue alternating with layers of applied paint textures and painted elements. The latter techniques result usually in a style more typical of watercolor, but with Bob's typical striking imagery content.

The result has been new directions and excitement in his work, and it has been very well received by galleries thus far.

His style and content continue to be primarily in the vein of magic realism: a strong mixture of fantasy and wonder with images abstracted or juxtaposed in unusual ways to reflect a unique inner vision. Clues to his message are often available in his titles, and he includes a written statement with each piece - unusual in the visual world of artists, but helpful in appreciating the meanings of the work.

Two major themes in his recent work have been the "Lost City/Holy City/Ancient City" imagery (seen in both images above) and a strong element of social commentary, such as Dark Angel (left), a statement on intolerance.