Getting ready for our first summer here in Houston. So far, not too bad with the infamous humidity. So far,,not that different to CT. But ok, it's early days. And we don't have a beach here. Great to see Ugallery displaying three beautifully framed beach paintings I did last year. They were framed by the Nylen gallery in Westport CT and I get that summer time feeling when I see them. They came about by walking along the beach and just noticing those little movements and interpersonal reactions between people that we don't normally associate with lazing in the sun, but that make the beach interesting to me, often in a subtle psychological way.

Just returned from a short trip to the east coast. Gave me a chance to sketch a lot and view art other than my own. Always good to step back for awhile. New stuff on the way.

Working on a bunch of new abstracts, some of which are up on display, hope to hear some feedback from the viewers out there.

Preparing a lot of pieces for a little show in Feb, And I mean little, 10 x 10" ! For Houston artists at the Hardy and Nance studios. I'm new to the city but have made a friend in Claire Richards an artist and the manager/curator at this collective of artists. The freedom and fun of working this quick and small made me think.. I need to do some for Ugallery! Small canvases attract the eye in a different way, in the way a jewel can do. So the work has an even bigger challenge. It needs to get you to walk over and look despite it's size. And I love the idea of all the wall space around it. Artists love their work not being too close to anything else so it gets the viewers full attention :]

My studio in Houston is taking shape, I'm psyched to have figured out an orderly system to work in acrylics and oils.. Two workstations on opposite sides of the easel/s. Sure it sounds logical but sticking to it and not cross contaminating is the hard part. :} Happy New year.

Third large abstract off to collector in PA. a good abstract painting just keep on giving something different every time one looks at it. :} Thanks Scott.

Added a few new studio photos to my Ugallery profile page.. And also please browse my website to see if there's anything you like which I have in the studio, - if not represented on Ugallerys website, we can ask them to make it available.

Some new paintings have just gone up on my page, more abstract work coming more often from my studio, and I'm happy with the direction. Also appreciate the support I get from the clients of Ugallery :}

I [ and the other artists] just love getting emails like this from satisfied collectors- Hi Allen, I'm writing to let you know how happy my wife and I are with our purchase of M street shuffle. It looks fantastic in our living room. I am very interested in [ another painting which shall remain nameless t this time;}] . Since you are the artist, do you feel that the two paintings would compliment one another if hung in the same room? It appears as though the colors are mostly the same. Thanks Collector What then happened was that I asked the collector to send a photo of the two walls, which he did, and I photoshopped the other painting in on the adjoining wall, adjusting the lighting so both paintings looked like they were in the same room. I think it looked great.. hoping the collector will go for the other piece because now Ive seen how the two relate to each other, I'm psyched.. .

Thank you to 2016 collectors, I am so thrilled that paintings like big ol' M Street Shuffle, little Peachy Beachy couple, the floral Red Yellow Blue, and one of my favorite women, Intoxicating, have found new homes this year. It's very intriguing and gratifying to think that people I have yet to meet [hopefully] have seen some meaning in these works, which are my way of searching for meaning too.. That connection is a great energy to be part of.

Best holiday wishes to all! Six sales in the last month, with five of my faces going to the same collector in New York! Would love to see them hanging on their walls. Working on more faces and abstracts through the New Year. Thank you CAmilla, Samantha and Alex at Ugal!

Thats great to hear Techshafted!. And sorry, I just checked this blog out today after an absence from it, and was gratified that you wrote. And very happy that the painting is doing it's job.

Thanks Ugallery, for having recently sold a large abstract and a large classical womans head. I am excited to be getting more time in the studio, thanks to a great babysitter, Cassie. So, more boats, harbors, womans faces, abstracts and buildings on the horizon and on the easel. Thanks to all my collectors, your support and feeedback is invaluable , and much appreciated.

Thank you M, some new abstracts and flowers going up. Let me know what you think..

Happy to be back posting new art from California. I'm sure it will have an influence on my work. I'll be using oils a little more as my studio now has better ventilation, but acrylics are still the go to choice for me. Although oils are so lusciously addictive, so I may yet eat my words.

We're moving to San Francisco in a month, and I will temporarily be off the Ugallery grid during that time while I set up a new work space / studio. This means for any collectors consdiering buying, now is a good time.;]

Looking forward to the Affordable Art Fair in New York on the 2 April,[ a day away..] my first showing in the city. I thank Alex at Ugallery for inviting me to show. I'll have about 6 pieces up, oils and acrylics. xxx

Working on some large abstracts and womens faces this month, but feel like I'll get the urge to paint more cityscapes soon, and when that happens you gotta go with it.

Looking forward to getting more abstracts done this year, I feel theyre a natural progression from the flowers and buildings, as I'm always trying to abstract shape and color in hose paintings. Abstracts are simply the purer form of this, with no help in having a recognizable subject. These are all about energy, depth, color and mood.

Ugallery is doing a great job getting artists names out there. I'm submitting a few more flower paintings to my listing. Happy to have sold "London Girls' a large oil painting recently to a collector in Black Rock CT

Thanks for those words S Cirami, I'm so happy when collectors get a jolt of joy whenever they pass by a painting I did. I'm sure all artists do.

Heading to the studio to try decide if I need to move to another quieter place or not. There is a studio about 2 miles away and I'm tempted I can use my mt bike and get a teeny bit fitter each day.

I was really impressed with the way Ugallery sent me the crates for shipping so fast, and how sturdy they were. Made me think, " Hey this is better than driving them to a gallery in my car." Lets me focus on painting in the studio!

Happy to report first sales with Ugallery,two large modern paintings of flowers. the packing boxes Ugallery sends to the artist is superb. Hope collectors are thrilled with them. I am busy preparing for new show on Thursday at my studio gallery the Armstrong GAllery in Bridgeport CT.

HAve not posted for awhile, but the work is always coming along..just been working at studio most of the day, coming home by 3.30 for the kids school bus, and then attending to online work and sales. All good, and I'm grateful. Working on some larger figurative paintings, and some smaller abstracts.

Day after Christmas and back at work, just uploaded Rainforest Song, a large [ 48 x 46'' ] acrylic painting. It's very colorful and for me conveys the sound of birds, running water and the idea of primitive man in paradise. Texture runs throughout the surface, giving an added dimension.

Working on more flower paintings and urbanscapes based in Bridgeport. A gritty street can be beautiful, with tons of interesting abstract shapes, overwhelming amounts of information, and tonal gradients, flashes of color and white specks etc.. similar to a vase of flowers in that respect.

Thanksgiving day, kids playing x box, not too noisy.. had a good morning painting, some street scenes and a young womans face. decided to use acrylics today as waiting for some layers to dry on a few oils.

A weekend of not doing much, stuck with with a bad cold. Or should I say a man- cold, meaning I could do with a lot more sympathy from my wife. ;] So sketching on Corel Painter, it's surprising how many times I've translated digital sketches to canvas. Doesnt matter wether its pencil or digital sketches as long as the information is there to get inspired and get painting, it's not important how it's drawn.

Had a good weekend at the studio on Knowlton st.. -the Bridgeport Art trail. though I live in Fairfied my studio is only five minutes drive away.. and lots of people did the rounds of the artists studios. Met a lot of nice folks and sold some paintings. It's great to talk to people and get to know them a little before they buy a painting. I really value and appreciate that my work will become a part of their lives. sometimes they send a photo of the painting in their living room or wherever, and I really get a kick out of seeing it breathing somewhere where it's seen and enjoyed.

Just posted ' Corner market' a few minutes ago. This paintings leads the eye down an interesting road,: from a deli on the corner, along a wall to a church and beyond. A young man walks along helping the direction even more. This strong diagonal is contrasted by the horizontal staccato of the white crossing marks on the road. The colors are based on reality, I use that as a guide but then have to satisfy my own color sense.

First night of uploading some art for U Gallery. I feel good about it. Online is a new venture for me but Ugallery feels spiritually sound.