Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty, Beacon Press, 2001 A personal narrative about art, love, life and loss that is equal parts poetry and philosophy. In "Still Life with Oysters and Lemon", a small 17th century Dutch painting by Jan Davidsz de Heem is the catalyst for Mark Doty’s illuminating meditation on intimacy. His layered contemplation of the still life’s ordinary subject — … [Read more...]
Still-life with Teapot and Bananas
Teapot and Bananas; gouache, 7 x 9.25 in (17.8 x 23.5 cm), 1/19/09 … [Read more...]
Drawings
Interior — ink, 7 x 9.25 in (17.8 x 23.5 cm), 1/16/09 Still-life, 7 x 9.25 in (17.8 x 23.5 cm), 1/16/09 … [Read more...]
The Artist’s Valentine Grant
In January of each year since 1996, give or take a year in between, I've made Valentine cards to apply for a unique grant called the The Artist's Valentine. The holiday mostly stands out for me as the opening scene of one of the all time greatest movies, Some Like It Hot. I usually struggle to come up with an appropriate sentiment in the cards — not surprising given the previous reference. This … [Read more...]
Food Drawings
The search for interesting shapes and colors in the grocery store, for subjects to draw and paint, has brought about greater diversity in what I eat. Tonight the acorn squash transformed from actor in a table-top still life into a nourishing side dish. I've read that when Matisse lived on the coast in Nice, there was a restaurant downstairs from his flat. A waiter would bring up oysters or other … [Read more...]
Postcard
Today marks the completion of several intersecting projects that I have worked on in the last three months. My website is updated with work from this year: it has a new structure, changed from being grouped by medium to being grouped by year or by genre. Two paintings for two shows are framed and donated, both to fund raisers: one for a non-profit gallery, the other for Aids Action. And the blog … [Read more...]
Teapot with Knife and Lemon
Teapot with Knife and Lemon, oil on linen panel, 5 x 7 in (12.7 x 17.78 cm), 8/19/2008 Teapot with Knife and Lemon, oil on linen gatorboard, 8 x 10 in (20.32 x 25.4 cm), 8/15/08 … [Read more...]
Teapot, Garlic, and Tomato
Teapot, garlic and tomato, oil on linen panel, 5 x 5 in (12.7 x 12.7 cm), 8/9/2008 … [Read more...]