carl parker's greatest hits, vol. 3

     As I sit here with my early morning coffee, I'm feeling nostalgic, so I figured I'd do a "Greatest Hits" post.  I've done a couple in past years, but it' time for a new one.  It's fun to look back from time to time, over my body of work and pick out which ones are my favourites.  Mind you, all my pieces have a special place in my heart, but some stand out to me, personally.  But before we get to it, I must, on this Remembrance Day (Veterans' Day if you're in the US), take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to those men and women in uniform whose service has allowed me the freedom to not only do what I do, but the ability to choose it.  Take a moment today to remember, because if we don't remember the horrors of the past, we're doomed to repeat them.

     And now, on with the show, so to speak:

​1.  City Life:  This piece, the one pictured above, was one I did back in 2016.  I really love the bight colours  in it, it feels lively.  The background reminds me of an old European city, perhaps Lisbon.  And then there's the character in the foreground with the umbrella, faceless, well almost.  Who is he?  What's he doing?  What's with the umbrella on an obviously clear day?  He gives the piece an irresistible air of intrigue that I still can't resist even now, 2 years later.  I just want to keep looking at it, to unravel the mystery.

​

---

2.  Sensational Sleep:  This is a commission I completed last year.  I just love how it turned out.  People are naturally a bit nervous about having a nude portrait done, I mean there is a certain vulnerability in exposing your naked body for all to see, perceived flaws and all (and by perceived, I mean we always see them in ourselves, even if no one else does).  That being said, the collector was delighted with the piece, it's elegant, tasteful and beautiful.

---

3.  Old City:  I can't believe this one is almost 5 years old!  I know I've raved about it before, and it even made the list of paintings that have defined my career.  Well, I can't help it, I love it.  It's really the first piece where I was able to just let loose and let my abstract freak fly!  I was in a place in my life where I finally felt comfortable, with myself and my work and in that comfort, I found the safety to experiment.

---

4.  Existence in an Unfathomable Universe:  Speaking of the freedom and safety to experiment, I created this piece around the same time as Old City.  It was a wonderful time in my life.  I finally got my true love back after 20 years and I was just feeling free and happy. In this piece, I played with the surreal and I love how it turned out.  I still remember standing there, at the canvas, in the wee hours of the morning while the rest of the world was asleep.  It's another one of those pieces that compels the viewer to think, to wonder.  What's going on here?  Who, or what is that blob person?  What about the other person? What's behind that little door?  All that and it's visually pleasing too.

---

  5.     Parting the Fog:  I completed this piece about 3 years ago.  As you know, I'm no stranger to painting people in boats or seascapes.  What can I say?  I love the ocean.  To be honest, I just really love how this one turned out.

---

​     So, there you have it, my five faves right now. Enjoy!