At a very young age, I found art as an outlet to express feelings and emotion in ways that others could visually see. Over the years, I have drawn, doodled, painted, and sketched. Although I have not always saved everything I have created, I do keep record of all the paintings I have created since 2021. This, is that collection.
Happy Little Accident
Shortly after my renaissance in 2021, my sister asked me to paint the famous Spaceship Earth attraction of EPCOT at the Walt Disney World Resort. My first attempt did not go well. So I used the canvas as a testing platform to try different colors and painting techniques. 2 years later, I decided to officially name the canvas and turn it into an official piece of my collection. What began as a seemingly failed painting turned into a work of art! As Bob Ross might say, a “happy little accident.”
Not So Hidden Mickey
This one could be a pattern on the floor of an attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park 🤔☺️ At least that’s the vibe it is giving me 🤷♂️😎🎬🎥📣
Japan Pavilion Pagoda
My favorite pavilion at Walt Disney World's EPCOT theme park is by far Japan. One of the great aspects of the pavilion is the architecture. The pagoda was the inspiration behind this painting.
At the Cross
I grew up in the church and Christianity has been a major influence in my life. So, it is common for me to "lay" my troubles and mistakes "at the foot of the cross," as Christians might say. This abstract piece shows how I feel Jesus leaning over me and reaching down to give me a hug.
Spring on My Mind
Spring is my favorite time of year, in general, as it signifies everything springing to life. Growing up in Indiana, I experienced all 4 seasons each year. I was always happiest when it was Spring. And as fate would have it, my birthday is more often than not the first day of Spring!
Only the Beginning
As my 2021 renaissance was progressing, I began to experiment with the abstract. In this painting, one of the more interesting facts is that each colored shape was (the circle, square, and triangle) painted in a single stroke.
Robert’s Tree
In 2021, I attempted to grow bonsai trees. One of the trees was going to honor my grandfather’s memory. I was going to make a miniature scene with a grandfather and grandson fishing under the tree. It was all about the memories of my late grandfather, Robert Marine, and I fishing when I was a small boy. The tree eventually died and all I had left were photographs of the tree. So I decided to paint the tree from those photos and then gave it to my grandmother as a gift.
Gateway to the Future
My favorite pavilion at EPCOT in the Walt Disney World Resort is by far the Japan Pavilion. They have a Torii Gate there where you can see Spaceship Earth (the big ball). I love this scene and just had to paint it.
Bonsai
This was an attempt to paint something that did not actually exist in the real world. This bonsai tree only existed in my own imagination. At the time, I was trying to grow bonsai. Although all of my trees have since died, this painting of one that never existed still remains.
Seedling
During my 2021 renaissance, I rented a room in a friend‘s house. The view from my window included a new tree in the neighbor’s yard. Although the painting isn’t much, it was great practice as I took up art once again. Also, this was painted on a very small 2”x2” canvas. Without a magnifying glass, it was quite difficult to do any sort of detail work on this.
Sunset on Fuji
This is the first painting I created in my renaissance of 2021. As a part of this period of my life, I was exploring Japanese culture. I was attracted to Mount Fuji for its majestic beauty and its mystery as a volcano. It is an icon of Japanese culture and art. Since I have never been to Japan, I found a reference photograph online to inspire this painting.
