50% completed "Chuck Close"

This is at the 50% mark. It is acrylic on plywood measuring 32" square. I am enjoying the process immensely. Ruminating over this project this weekend, I came to the conclusion that I have been making other people's artwork my entire career, first as a bronze caster and then as a fabricator. Therefore, this project is a natural extension of that practice. I think of these paintings in two ways; first as homage to the people I have long admired, secondly as a way of learning to paint. Additionally, they trade on the contemporary practice of 'sampling' or 'mashups' (although this suggests the mixing of different artists work-a potential path for the future).

Blue and Red Jasper (Assembled)
acrylic on plywood
20" X 40"
2007
Steve Mesler

Painted as separate images but always having in mind the possibility of displaying them as a unit. They were painted a month apart and therefore there are differences that are distracting. However, they definitely are graphically more interesting as a unit. Undecided at this point how to resolve.

Blue Jasper
acrylic on plywood
20" square
2007
Steve Mesler

Red Jasper
acrylic on plywood
20" square
2007
Steve Mesler