'Morning

I like the look of just waking up after a night of fun and regret. I think this piece based on a selfie taken by River Viiperi, and used with his permission, captures that pretty well.

Shane

Although I've been trying to focus on images taken by my friends and me, occasionally I come across one that stands out.

I've been a fan of the photographer Pat Lee since I was in college. His photographs are iconic, distinctive, and just flat out beautiful. I was intimidated to ask for permission to use any photo of his in work of mine because I didn't want to be turned down by someone whose work I'd admired for so long.

When I did work up the courage to ask Pat was gracious enough to offer not just permission, but encouragement. I'm honored to say he's become a fan of my own.

In looking through his work I decided to go back in time a bit and chose to work with an older image of the young bodybuilder Shane Giese playing with a dumbbell backstage at a competition.

My work generally focuses on masculine intimacy and I think this is a nod to every teenage boy who lusted after a body available only through a relationship with weights.

A time lapse video of the cutting process is below.

Kenworthy

A month ago the Olympic free skier Gus Kenworthy made national news when he came out as gay. Even though I'm a die hard fan of the Olympics it was the first time I'd heard of him so I started following him on social media.

He recently posted a selfie taken on the edge of a half pipe with mountains behind the camera. The bright blue eyes in the ski mask as well as the reflection on his goggles was interesting so I figured I'd give it a try. I think the result is great - and it's gotten me interested in using other images that involve mirrors or reflections.

I cut this full size (32"x32") in order to capture the details in the first go.

A detail shot is below.

Sundown

This is Sundown, the 40"x32" version of Daibes Sunset. I've cut this image multiple times (A view from my bedroom) - I like the subtle colors of the yellows. And while I think this will be the last time I cut this image, I am tempted to do it in multiple colors more representative of a true sunset.

The off axis view is below.

Daniel

This is the full scale 20"x40" version of last year's "LoveD". This image is fairly personal and I had no plans to execute a full size version of it.

And then I met the artist Cassandra Complex, who expressed interest in it. I agreed to create it full size for her in exchange for one of her paintings.

Shy

This is the 32"x40" version of "The Sob", created in 2010.

This is based on the photo "T" taken by Rick Day.

The light background of the image required reversing the order of colors: darkest on the bottom, lightest on top.

I'm happy that I was able to bring out details on the model's back that were too small to include on the test version of this cutting.

Like "Therapy" this cutting is made of nine layers - my current maximum.

The off-axis view is below.

Pride

This is Pride, 32"x32" - eight layers done in the vivid blues of my recent work.

The two lightest shades are substantially lighter than the other six so I made sure that they were restricted to use in the background.

This is my best friend being hugged goodbye by his mom, on his first day at college.

Normally I'd have removed any text on his ballcap - but in this piece it felt appropriate to let it remain.

I thoroughly enjoy the way the layers come together to create her wedding band.



The off axis is below.

Exhaustion

This is the final version of the earlier "A Nap a Day" piece, cut in 2012. At 32"x40" it is four times larger than the earlier piece, and completed in the same shades of blue used for "Look" and "Acceptance".

Buttermilk

 Four years ago I cut "Buttermilk in May" done in six layers of shades of blue as a test for the image. In executing that piece I left out a lot of detail.

In completing the full scale version, I decided to add the detail I felt was missing from the earlier piece which I think is successful.

This is my first real cutting done in green.

Hedonist

I follow a lot of fitness models and athletes online for artistic/ aesthetic reasons, and general inspiration. One of them is Joe Delaney of http://www.jd-fitness.com/ - a young English trainer who describes himself as "personal trainer, hedonist, optimist, pancake enthusiast".

I was really fascinated by the downward cast of the face - and that the shadows looked very abstract on an otherwise straightforward body image. Up close it almost appears messed up in a Picasso-like abstraction.

The final piece measures 20"x40" and is composed of six layers. The off-axis shot is below.

Look

The 16"x20" artworks I produce and give away are usually small scale rough drafts. The larger versions incorporate extra layers and more detail.

This is "Look" the 20"x40" final draft of the earlier "Hamm w/ Cheese."

Compared to the earlier piece, two additional layers were used making a total of eight. Details were added to the forehead, nose, and zippers; even individual zipper teeth are visible. The mats used, while still blue, are more vivid.

The off axis detail of the eyes is below.

Acceptance

I'm not going to talk about this one.

Hamm w/ Cheese

Earlier this year I began following an artist on Facebook who it turns out is one of the most beautiful human beings alive... go figure.

He's whimsical, irreverent, intelligent, and he has this uncommon ability to look like he's photobombing his own pics.

One of them, taken with a webcam, and posted last May caught my attention because of the size of his eyes and the shadows of his body... I knew I could do something with it. Here is the result.

The off axis is below.

Heat

A friend of mine attended Gay Days at Walt Disney World last year where a buddy took a pic of him dancing at a concert and sharing some quick love with his boyfriend in the heat of the moment.  The original photo is much larger and out of focus, but cropped down to just these two figures, and with the slight canting of the camera to illustrate the crowd I think the composition gets a lot more interesting.

This is only the second time that the layers of a cutting are composed of different colors as opposed to shades of the same color. It was meant intentionally as a reference to the rainbow flag, but when completed, the finished work has the look of a thermograph - showing different levels of surface temperature. In that case, "Heat" seemed like a natural title.

The varied random cutouts of the heads of the crowd in the background and the performers on stage are some of the most complex and abstract I've ever done.

The off-axis, illustrating those details is below.

The Wine Reduction

A friend of mine remarked on the bottle on the table in "Therapy" and how it looked transparent. I thought this was a quality worth exploring, so here it is again (albeit in a different color), blown up.

I'm not normally a fan of still life, but I think this is ultimately successful in conveying that same transparency, and I like the subtle hint of shadows around it.

I think it might be my most "art-y" piece to date.

Property of a Lady

This cutting was done as a wedding gift for my cousin and her new husband. The off-axis is below.

LoveD

This cutting measures 10"x20", and consists of a six layers, like all of my other blue pieces.

I really like how half of the model's face is in shadow, and the slightly diagonal line created by his head set slightly to the right and his abs set slightly to the left.

The off-axis close-up is below, and at the bottom is a top-view video of the process

     

Therapy

Last year during my volunteer group's weekend away I snapped the picture that would inspire "A Nap a Day". This year one of the other volunteers took this picture of a friend and me enjoying a deep conversation and a bottle of wine. The off-axis is below.

This cutting is larger than most, measuring 31" x 31", and is made up of nine layers, more than any previous. It's also my first self portrait.

Unlike all previous cuttings I recorded the work of the cutting in progress and made a short time lapse video out of it.

Untitled

This is the 16"x20" test cutting for Louis LaSalle's image. It is composed of eight layers, the two lightest of which are exceptionally light, to emphasize the appearance of over exposure.

I thoroughly enjoyed cutting the detail of the figure's right arm.

The off axis is below.

Pocket Cutting

The photographer Louis LaSalle graciously agreed to let me use his iconic photograph of Yvan Cournoyer in a cutting.

I decided to make one of the tests, small enough to carry in my pocket.