Gator offense tops in SEC

At times this year it seems as if the Gators' offense has struggled scoring. But the statistics seem to tell a different story. I think the real struggle may be with our expectations. Click the link to visit the stats for yourself.

"Eric Arnold"

“Eric Arnold” is an original, signed graphite work by artist Michael Arnold. Eric is my youngest brother. He was a great father and husband, whose time on Earth was far too short. He had an adventurous spirit, wasn't afraid to try anything or do anything and faced life's challenges with hope and enthusiasm; relishing every opportunity that came his way. All who knew him, loved him.

"Don't Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve Denim Jacket"

The American Cancer Society's annual "Cattle Barons Ball" is a critical effort that not only raises funds for all of the local endeavors to assist cancer victims and their loved ones, but also raises awareness and support in the hopes that one day this disease will never take another life! This event scheduled for January 30, 2010, at the Citrus Springs Community Center, allows area artists to contribute their special talents by designing an unique piece of artwork on a denim jacket. All jackets will be displayed during the ball and guests will be allowed to purchase tickets toward the jacket of their choice. Later on in the evening tickets will be drawn and the announcement of the lucky winners will be made! All proceeds will go directly into Citrus County's American Cancer Society funds to reach out to local cancer survivors. "Don't wear your heart on your sleeve" was created by local award winning artist Michael Arnold. The inspiration for this original artwork came from an earlier sketch made by the artist. He combined the sketch with an idea to make to artwork completely from hearts and the end result was this beautiful and unique piece of art! The drawing was sketched out on the back on a denim jacket and then painted in using acrylic paints. The artwork took repeated coats of paints since the denim jacket absorbed paint easily. All parts of the painting, including the girl and the background is made entirely by using different sizes of heart shapes. After the painting was completed the artist added several coats of varnish over the top of the artwork to preserve it. This unique artwork is signed by the artist and is truly breathtaking to view!

Dave Arnold

2008 18 x 24 inches acrylic on canvas painting

“Dave Arnold” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This is a portrait of my son, Dave Arnold. The painting is based on a picture that was taken on Dave's honeymoon. He is standing on the balcony of an ocean side hotel room in Daytona Beach. When I saw the vivid colors of the photo, I knew right away that I wanted to create a painting from it. I believe the painting captures both the spirit of my son and the beautiful natural setting of Daytona Beach, Florida. The painting was a gift and is not available for purchase. I have also painted a portrait of Dave's wife and it can be viewed here. The painting makes a bold statement on any wall where it is displayed. Click on the additional views button below to get a better close up of the color and design of this unique painting. "Dave Arnold is also available as the front of note cards and the prints can be purchased here. This artwork was created using acrylic paint on a high quality wrapped canvas. Acrylic paint works very well on stretched canvas. When purchasing artwork many people aren't sure what the difference is between acrylic and oil paintings. The main difference between acrylics and oil paints is the inherent drying time.

The Rose

2007 18 x 24 inches acrylic painting on canvas

“The Rose” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I created this painting in my art class. One of the students had a rose and I wanted to capture the inner natural beauty of the flower. My interpretation of the flower gives it an abstract and surreal tone, but to me this is exactly how the rose looked, with it's beautiful petals! I have shown this painting in the frame because I felt like the black frame added to the art piece. This original painting is unavailable for purchase. The painting makes a bold statement on any wall where it is displayed. "The Rose" is available as the front of note cards and the prints can be purchased here. This artwork was created using acrylic paint on a high quality wrapped canvas. Acrylic paint works very well on stretched canvas.

Face in the Crowd

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 18 inches “Face in the Crowd” is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This painting was created from a photograph I took at my daughter-in-laws college graduation. I was looking around and notices everyone was turned and facing the graduates, except this one person. The thoughtful expression on his face was intriguing and I wanted to share the emotion through my painting. Purchase Price $200

Ode to the Gators Presents" It's Amazing"

Michael Arnold Art Video

"Lilies in Window"

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 30 inches“Lilies in Window” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This painting was a commission piece done for a client. The design was made from a picture the client had found in a magazine. The painting was created in greys and white with a pop of color added to the tops of the lilies.

"Life One"

2008 Acrylic on canvas 30 x 40 inches “Life One” is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I don’t pretend to know or understand how life formed around us; whether through spontaneous generation, omne vivum ex ovo (everything living from an egg) or intelligent design. My painting, in fact, could be interpreted as all three; I’ll leave that to the viewer to decide. Instead, I’ll talk about how I created “Life One.” First I picked a focal point and began drawing random diagonals through the focal point. Once I had covered the canvas in diagonals, I alternately painted the spaces formed by the diagonals in watered down magenta and green. I chose those two colors because I felt they would recede and make the yellows, oranges and reds pop more once they were painted over them. Then using a white colored pencil I freehand sketched the approximation of the Fibonacci Spiral beginning at the focal point. I then began drawing amorphous shapes following the outline of the spiral. Once the drawing was complete I began painting in two shades of yellows, two shades of oranges and a shade of red. I chose their placement by feel with no real plan of where each color would end up. I built up a half dozen layers of paint through glazes before mixing thicker layers of paint to create the shadows and highlights for the shapes. Purchase Price $750

Flying the Coop

2006 Graphite on paper 18 x 24 inches Flying the Coop is an original 18x24, graphite pencil drawing, matted and framed by artist Michael Arnold. The drawing’s inspiration was from a montage I created using cutout magazine ads. I wanted to merge indoor and outdoor elements with the man in the drawing caught in mid leap between the two. This drawing was one of my first efforts after deciding to take my art more seriously. Picture includes double matting for a total size of 24 x 36 Purchase Price $250

Citrus County Courthouse 1900

2006 Colored Pencil Drawing 18 x 24 inches Citrus County Courthouse 1900 is an original 18x24, colored pencil drawing, matted and framed by artist Michael Arnold. The drawing is from a photograph of the old wooden courthouse in Inverness around 1900. The courthouse was replaced by a stone structure in 1912, where Elvis Presley filmed the climatic court scene in Follow That Dream in 1961.I enjoyed using the inverted colors, working on black paper and using white and yellow colored pencils. This unique style adds age to the courthouse, while displaying it as you would find it back in 1900. The picture comes with pale yellow matting, making it ready to be framed. Purchase Price $250

StipeThree

2008 Acrylic on canvas 40 x 30 inches “Stipe Three” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This is the third painting in my Michael Stipe series. I painted the background using a painting knife loaded with modeling paste and a mix of yellow oxide, cadmium yellow medium and buff titanium. I placed lines of red oxide, permanent green light and phthalocyanine blue side by side to build up the various tones for the portrait. I used touches of cadmium yellow light and medium to add some highlights and finished it off with pure yellow oxide to punch up the neutral tones. Purchase $625

Psychedelic Stipe

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 30 inches “Psychedelic Stipe” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I am working through a series of portraits of Michael Stipe, the lead singer for the alternative rock band R.E.M..I plan to work different designs and colors into my portraits to add variety. I used the psychedelic colors and lines to add a pop art design to this portrait, hoping to to try to capture a rock and roll feeling. Purchase Price $525

"Sunset"

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 30 inches “Sunset” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I love the vivid colors created when the sun sets. The bold color palette captures the beauty and warmth of the sun in this abstract nature painting. The broad strokes and course lines describe nature as a living, changing entity. Purchase Price $475

"Stipe"

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 24 inches “Stipe” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I had the opportunity to see REM perform in Atlanta this year. The show was great and so was Michael Stipe. This painting attempts to capture the emotion within the artist. I used small watercolor brushes to create the fine lines and details, attempting to give the artwork a charcoal drawing feel to it. The basic color palette also adds to the emotional state of the painting. Purchase Price $550

Giraffe

2008 Acrylic on canvas 18 x 36 inches “Giraffe” is an original, signed acrylic painting on gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This painting is done in a similar pop art style to “Sunflower,” “Blue Girl” and “She’s Got Legs.” I like simplifying the painting to interesting shapes and shadows. The basic color palette helps induce the feel of the Serengeti plains in Africa. The tall canvas displays the giraffe in all it's glory. Purchase Price $400

Tulips

2008 Acrylic on canvas 36 x 24 inches "Tulips" is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This my first attempt at tulips. I would definitely like to revisit this subject in the future."Tulips" uses nature's bright colors to create a springtime impressionistic style painting . Purchase Price $500

Two Roses

2007 Acrylic on canvas 20 x 24 inches "Two Roses" is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. Roses are another favorite subject of mine. These are two roses from my wife’s rose bushes I sketched one morning. I then combined them into a single painting. "Two Roses" utilizes amazing detail and vivid color bring this original painting to life. Be sure and check the additional views to fully appreciate the detail of each of the roses. Purchase Price $350

Boys on Beach

2008 acrylic on canvas 40 x 30 inches “Boys on Beach” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I love visiting the beach, listening to the ocean, seeing the awesome power of the sea and occasionally digging in the sand or just feeling it between your toes. This painting was done using smooth brush strokes, which compliments the peaceful, relaxed feeling of the artwork. Purchase Price $625

Sunflower

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 18 inches "Sunflower" is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. Sunflowers are one of my favorite subject matters. This particular sunflower is painted in a pop art style. The bold detail in the center of the sunflower creates a natural feel, while the leaves are displayed in a modern, more abstract style. This painting may be purchased with or without the featured frame. Purchase Price $300

Rock Through the Ages

2008 Acrylic on canvas 30 x 40 inches “Rock Through the Ages” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I wanted to paint a picture of some of my favorite musicians. The painting evolved in sketches over several months before I began the painting. However, once I started the painting I changed course several times over the six months it took to complete it. Many of the musicians I wanted to include had to be left out. This subject begs for a series. The musicians, from top left, are: Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin, Elvis, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Michael Stipe, Alanis Morrisette, Jim Morrison, AC/DC, Billy Joel, Chuck Berry, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Mick Jagger, The Eagles, Bob Seger, Sheryl Crow, Neil Young, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton Tom Petty, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson and Lucinda Williams. Purchase Price $1200

Saxophone

2007 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 18 inches “Saxophone” is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I’ve always liked the way the light danced off brass instruments. This experimental work sought to capture the effect in a loose style. The jazz feel of the saxophone blends with the floating music in this unique, freely rendered artwork where I let the improvisational nature of jazz guide me. The finished painting gives the viewer a feel of both music and movement. This painting may be purchased with or without the featured frame. Purchase Price $300

Sunflower Field

2007 Acrylic on canvas 40 x 30 inches "Sunflower Field" is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This was the second in a series of sunflower field paintings. I wanted to make the person feel like they were standing on the edge of a rolling field of sunflowers. The impressionistic style of this nature landscape adds a touch of whimsy to the floral design of the artwork. The close up in the additional views shows the amazing detail and texture found in the center of the large sunflowers. Purchase Price $625

Strawberry Fields

2008 Acrylic on canvas 36 x 24 inches "Strawberry Fields" is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. The painting was inspired the movie “Across the Universe.” I wanted the larger than life red strawberries to pop against the bright yellow background. The pop art painting easily reminds us of the Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever", which was written by John Lennon. After the fourth verse, the song fades out and fades in again to dissonant melodies with Lennon saying, "cranberry sauce" but was misheard by many Paul is dead theorists as Lennon saying, "I buried Paul". Purchase Price $500

She's Got Legs

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 36 inches “She’s Got Legs” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. My wife appears as the subject in another one of my paintings. This is another pop artwork inspired by artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Tom Wesselmann. I spread modeling paste combined with acrylic paint onto the canvas using a makeshift trowel I carved out of plastic. It gives the painting added texture and lines which compliments the simplistic pop art design. The colors by themselves are loud and in your face, but together they blend harmoniously into a pleasing composition. Purchase Price $500

Girl on Beach

2007 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 18 “Girl on Beach” is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This is another painting with my wife as the subject. I created this paint by mixing the colors right on the canvas spreading them about using various size palette knives. My wife was painted in using a brush. I love the way the thick application of paint adds to the depth and vibrancy of the painting. The painting was inspired from a photo of my wife walking along Daytona Beach, Florida. This artwork may be purchased with or without the featured frame. Purchase Price $475

Three Sunflowers

2008 Acrylic on canvas 30 x 40 inches "Three Sunflowers" is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. Sunflowers are such vibrant subject matter, but have short lives. I wanted to give life to these three very different sunflowers. Sunflowers are the chameleons of the botanical world. There are hundreds of different varieties, colors and shapes. The center of the sunflower in the lower quadrant of the painting is my favorite center I have painted even though it is not that realistic. I also really liked the upper left sunflower and the way the disc floret seems almost alive as the future seeds wiggle in the sky. The soft tones give the painting a peaceful natural feel. Be sure to look at the additional views to see the details on the ring in the center of the flower. Purchase Price $625

Kiwi Explosion

2008 Acrylic on canvas 36 x 24 inches “Kiwi Explosion” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. The kiwi is not my favorite fruit to eat, but it makes for a beautiful painting. This is as close to a still life as you will see me paint. The vibrant greens, mixed with white and black bring this pop art style painting to life. Purchase Price $500

Mountains

2008 Acrylic on canvas 40 x 30 inches “Mountains” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. Two artists, Van Gogh and O’Keeffe, influenced this fantasy mountain scene. This abstract landscape brings the beauty of nature into your home and enhances any home decor. Purchase Price $625

Maribel

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 36 inches “Maribel” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. The subject is my daughter in law who won a pageant in her home country of the Philippines. The photo I used as reference was of her in her costume after winning. This painting was created using only burnt sienna and a touch of pthalo blue to darken the hair. I layered the burnt sienna over and over again to build up the darker tones and create depth. The lightest colors in the painting were accomplished using a single layer and the darker tones have up to fifteen thin layers of paint. Purchase Price **SOLD**

Philodendrons

2007 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 24 inches “Philodendrons” is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. These resilient plants grow just about anywhere. This one, located on the edge of our property, guards the thicket of woods on the lot next door. The painting was done en plein air. The impressionistic style of this nature painting evokes thoughts of a lazy summer day in central Florida. Purchase Price $300

Blue Rose

2008 Mixed media on canvas 30 x 40 inches “Blue Rose" is an original, signed mixed media painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This painting uses texture and unusual colors to evoke emotion from the viewer. I applied strips of cloth to the canvas before painting to give the painting it's unique textured form. The impressionistic style and blue color palette add to the unique style of the artwork. This painting may be purchased with or without the featured frame. Purchase Price $625

Blue Girl

2008 Acrylic on canvas 30 x 40 inches “Blue Girl” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I used my wife as the subject for this pop art painting. The basic blue color palette mixed with the oversized portrait style is reminiscent of a Andy Warhol style painting. The painting makes a bold statement on any wall where it is displayed. Purchase Price $625

Art Shelf

2007 Acrylic on canvas 48 x 12 inches “Art Shelf” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. This painting was an exercise in creating works with unusual size and shape. The subject was the art materials shelf in my college’s painting studio. The realistic details of the painting , mixed with the unique canvas size give it the illusion of being and actual shelf hanging on a wall. I have had several people mistake it for a shelf before I pointed out that it was in fact a painting. Purchase Price $400

Wino

2007 Acrylic on canvas 20 x 24 inches “Wino” is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. We have all known someone who has struggled with addiction in their lives. It’s interesting to note that lives can be changed by a substance advertised in our local media and peddled at convenience stores. The background of the painting is made from a liquor ad that I cut out of the newspaper and glued to the canvas. I used the red in the background to symbolize both the spilled wine and the lost soul of the "wino." The extra-large clothes were intentional. I wanted to convey him as someone who cared little about outward appearance, living on the fringe of society. A person swallowed up by his clothes--swallowed up by life and his excesses. Purchase Price $350

Man in Blue, Green, Yellow

2008 Acrylic on canvas 30 x 40 inches “Man in Blue, Green and Yellow” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. My inspiration for this painting came from a series of sketches I made in my figure drawing class. This particular subject posed in various “moody” setups and I decided to recreate the sketches into a pop art painting. The modern, abstract feel of the painting is enhanced by it's simple geometric lines and a bold color palette. The finished artwork is a far cry from my original thumbnails and sketches I put together for the painting. The composition is basically the same, but I went through about four different color schemes, constantly tweaking the various tones of the colors. Nothing seemed to work until I finally added the bold, black outlines that seemed to pull the whole thing together for me. Purchase Price $625

Daytona Beach

2008 Acrylic on canvas 36 x 24 inches “Daytona Beach” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I took the reference photos for this abstraction of Atlantic Avenue in Daytona Beach while on vacation there in May 2008. Daytona is an interesting town. On the west side of Atlantic, the buildings are single story built in the art deco style of the time they were created before high-rise hotels blocked the view of the ocean. The two palm tree trunks in the center of the painting divide the two towns and provide mystery as the road disappears behind them. Be sure to look at the additional views to truly capture the vibrant color tones of the painting. Purchase Price $500

Miss Pierce

2007 Mixed Media on canvas 24 x 18 inches“Miss Pierce” is an original, signed acrylic painting on canvas by artist Michael Arnold. The painting includes the frame as it adds to the rustic feel of the piece. The subject is from a photo by one of the photographers at my newspaper. It is of an actual fishing boat in Homosassa, Florida. The canvas was prepared using strips of cloth, thread and wood to create texture. The rough impressionistic style helps give the art a "weathered" salt water look. All along the nature coast of Florida you will find similar seascapes. Purchase Price $300

Trike & Barrel

2007 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 35 inches “Trike and Barrel” is an original, signed acrylic painting on three canvases by artist Michael Arnold. This painting is from an assigned project in one of my art classes. The challenge was to create a unique multi-canvas construction. The subject is from actual props in the college’s art studio. By using a simple design and brushstroke it creates a unique work of art that is both interesting and dimensional. As you can see from the picture this artwork is created by attaching three separate canvases together, using different size canvases and overlapping them at varying points. I added an extra element to the painting by carrying the image over to the edges of the canvas. Purchase Price $300

Girl in Brown and Gold

2008 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 30 inches “Girl in Brown and Gold” is an original, signed acrylic painting on a gallery-wrapped canvas by artist Michael Arnold. I like painting people with interesting faces or in an unusual context. The young girl in this painting looks a bit apprehensive as she glances over her shoulder while embarking on her journey, which looks ominous. The road that leads to where? We don’t know. The dead tree? Is it that death awaits at the end of the journey? I used only yellow oxide and burnt umber to create this artwork. The somber earth tones add to the mystery of the painting. Purchase Price $500