Bowl of Bulbs No. 2

oil on gallery wrap canvas
12'' x 12"

A few weeks ago I was approached by PlusOne Gallery, in London, about possible representation. Needless to say I was very excited about this possibility. When I visited the gallery website, and saw their roster of artists, I was floored. Some of the most noted artists in the "realist" world are shown there. Richard Estes, John Salt and Ralph Goings just to name a few. "This is way out of my league", I thought, and in my mind the phrase, "I'm not worthy", kept repeating.

My insecurity aside, they've asked to see a few paintings in order to make their decision. I've been working on three, and will post them here as each is completed. I've decided to stay within my comfort zone here, and stick to popular themes. Post number one, Light Bulbs. I hope they like it. This piece will be followed by something reflective, with a pool ball to complete the trio. These paintings will be shipped together when all three are finished. If they say, "yes" then I will amend these posts with contact information to the gallery, for those who may be interested in the purchase of one of these paintings.

Ice Water No.2

oil on gallery wrap canvas
12'' x 16"

This is the last of four new paintings recently shipped to Stricoff Fine Art. It's a variation of the Ice Water composition I sent to Wynne/Falconer for our fall show. When I rotated the jug, the colors shifted from blue to this wonderful muted ochre. So, I had to do it again. If you're interested in the purchase of this painting, contact information for the gallery can be found by clicking here.

Pool Balls No. 3

oil on gallery wrap canvas
10'' x 10"

This is the third of four new paintings recently shipped to Stricoff Fine Art. I get a lot of requests for them, I love painting them, so for the time being I'll be doing more of them. Them being Pool Balls. Whenever I need a break from my somewhat monochromatic palette, I return to these colorful spheres. I feel that with each I learn a little more about how to paint a sphere. One of these days I'm going to go all in, and paint one of these very large, and really explore the subtleties their colors and reflections. If you're considering the purchase of this painting, you can find contact information for the gallery by clicking here.

Our Trip to Cape Cod

Coast Guard station at first light

We returned from our trip to Cape Cod yesterday morning. I don't think the visit could have gone more perfectly. With all of the press about how bad air travel had been this summer, we were planning for the worst. Our experience was quite the opposite. The flight up thursday morning left precisely on time, and arrived twenty minutes earlier than predicted. Smooth clear air all the way. A very pleasant flight.

We picked up our rental car at the airport, and headed out to the cape. The weather was cool, dry with a wonderful breeze. I haven't been to Massachusettes since I was ten, but it had a very familiar "feel". Like coming home. It would be a toss up between Pennsylvania, and New England in a race for my favorite previous residence location. In other words, it was good to be back. We arrived in Chatham around mid-morning, and checked into our room. A very nice place called the Bradford Inn near the center of town. We dumped our luggage, and walked up main street to the Wynne/Falconer Gallery.


Kenny Wynne hanging the show

Karen and I introduced ourselves to Kenny and Ally Wynne, then toured the gallery. Kenny (above speaking with a client in the midst of hanging the show), and Ally are great people, who made us feel very much at home. Their gallery is in an ideal spot, located in the heart of the shopping district. The flow of traffic into the gallery literally never stopped. Following a long visit, we headed across the street to the Chatham Squire for a bowl of New England clam chowder. Karen and I were both starving, and it really hit the spot. The remainder of that first day was spent exploring the town.


Cape Cod National Seashore

Friday morning we were on the move, driving through one quaint town after the other, and hitting a couple of the beaches on the way up to Provincetown. I wanted to go all the way to the tip of the cape, and the drive through the dunes out to Race Point was beautiful. The National Park Service has a great visitor center there, which includes a high look-out providing a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. Gorgeous! I could have spent the whole day there walking the trails, but our time was limited, so we headed into P-town.


Provincetown Public Library

Provincetown was a crazy place. People, people and more people. Lots of shops, lots of historic sites, and lots of art galleries. Karen and I visited a bunch of those galleries, and spoke with a number of artists that day. We went to the Packard Gallery, which features the work of Anne Packard (a local legend), and her daughter Cynthia. It is a beautiful space, built in an old church. Another gallery we visited was the Gallery Voyeur. It features the work of two artists, Johniene Papandreas, and her partner, who paints commissioned dog portraits under the title "Lucky Dogs!". We hit it off immediately with Johniene. She too was from Atlanta, and we had a great time talking with her.


Tree's Place Gallery in Orleans

The bulk of the day was spent in Provincetown, but on the way back to Chatham we made a side trip into Orleans. We wanted to see Tree's Place Gallery. They were featured as the gallery of the month in the same issue of American Art Collector as we were. It was a gorgeous space, easily the most elegant of all the galleries we visited. The paintings on display were great, but we were both especially blown away by the work of Michael Whelan. He is primarily a sci-fi cover illustrator, but his oil paintings were amazing.

While we were there I casually mentioned to Alison Collins, the director, that Karen and I were in the magazine. She was very sweet, and spoke favorably of our work. We talked for a few minutes, then thanked her, and left. As we were getting into our car, she came out and asked us to come back in. Alison said that Donna Steele, the owner, wanted to meet us. Karen and I came back in, and Donna greeted us very enthusiastically. She told us that the entire staff, including herself, had seen our work in the magazine, and felt that it was possibly the best in that issue. By this point the remaing staff members had gathered around, and were adding their own positive comments. That moment was the emotional highlight of our trip. Everyone there was so nice it was hard to leave, but we returned to Chatham feeling pretty good about our work.

Saturday morning we drove into Dennis to see the Cape Cod Museum of Art, after that it was back to the beaches. We returned to Chatham late afternoon to get ready for the show that evening. I had my camera with me at the reception, but didn't take a single photograph. We weren't sure how many, if any, people would show up, but the doors opened at six, and the traffic didn't stop until long after nine o'clock. Everyone was very nice, and complimentary of our work. Karen actually sold a painting during the show. It was really fun. When the show was over, and the sales were tallied up, Karen had sold seven out of nine pieces, and I had sold seven out of thirteen. I think I can say it was a pretty successful event. We said our good-byes to Kenny and Ally that night, and thanked them for all they had done for us, because we were heading back to Boston before sun-up the next morning.


Me outside the MFA waiting for Jeff Hayes

Karen and I had a nice drive back into Boston very early sunday morning. We had been told by those in the know that driving in town was a problem, so we un-loaded the rental back at the airport, and took a cab to our hotel. I have to say that I went a little crazy on our accomodations in town. For one night in my life, I wanted to see, how the other half lives, so I booked us into the Nine Zero on Tremont street. We arrived way too early to check in, but they were very nice, stored our luggage, and said we would have a room with a great view when we returned later in the day. They were right. The view over the Boston Common was fantastic! Especially at night. The "other half" gets to live pretty good.

We had breakfast in a popular spot called the Paramount on Charles street, then took a leisurely walk through the common to the train station to catch the "T" down to the Museum of Fine Art. We had three hours at the museum (not nearly enough time), before we were to meet Jeff Hayes. Jeff is an artist I've been corresponding with for sometime now, who has spent quite a few years in Boston. He offered to be our guide for the afternoon. Jeff picked us up at the MFA, and drove us all over the city. The galleries on Newbury Street were a must see for us. Martin Lawrence who shows our friend Bob Deyber is among them, so we definitely made a stop there.

We had an early dinner at a wonderful Indian restaurant in Cambridge, after which Jeff took us out to see his studio space. It's a great spot located in a building populated by artists. He had to split at six to meet someone, but by this time Karen and I were pooped anyway, and were looking forward to spending a little time in the, way too expensive, hotel we had waiting for us. Five a.m. came early, and it was time to head back to the airport for our flight home.

It was truly a "perfect" trip. The flights, the weather, the people, everything was great. Kenny and Ally are already planning our show for next year, so maybe we'll be able to go back, and do some of the things we didn't have time for on this visit.

Bulb Vase No.2

oil on gallery wrap canvas
16'' x 16"

Here is the second of four new paintings created for Stricoff Fine Art. I submitted images to them a few days ago, and happily, they have agreed to take them all. This is the second Bulb Vase I've painted. The first was a bit smaller at 10 x 10. With this piece I wanted to go larger, and push the technique a little further. I never really planned to become a "photo-realist", but lately I find myself working more intensely in that direction. It would be nice to be more "painterly", and maybe in time I'll back off a bit, and find a way to blend the two methods. To be honest I don't really know where I'm going. I'm leaving off the gallery contact information until the paintings are delivered. I hope to send them off on monday, and they should be in New York by wednesday. I'll revise these posts then with the gallery links.

Jeff wrote me this morning to say that the paintings are all there and up, so if you are interested in purchasing this piece you can find contact information for the gallery by clicking here.

Office Chair

oil on gallery wrap canvas
16'' x 20"

This is the first of four new paintings "intended" for Stricoff Fine Art. At this point it's still in its' submission phase, so until it's accepted I'll leave off any contact information for the gallery. I've been in the mood lately for something a bit more earthy. With the next three paintings I will return to the "shiny/glassy" subject matter, but with this one I got to paint some wood. I love this old office chair, and have painted it a number of times in the past. It was standing over against the wall the other day, and I saw it in the sunlight, and thought, "wow, that looks really cool". I'll update this post with conatact information when the disposition of the painting is finalized.

Jeff wrote me this morning to say that the paintings are all there and up, so if you are interested in purchasing this piece you can find contact information for the gallery by clicking here.

Revisited & Updated

oil on gallery wrap canvas
12'' x 12"

I'll be posting new work intended for Stricoff in a few days, but in the mean time I thought I'd revisit some older pieces that have now found a new home. These paintings will all be included in the Wynne/Falconer show in September. The Nautilus above is one of my current favorites. It was one of those paintings that just flowed. No cursing or frustration of any kind. It would be nice if all my work evolved so painlessly. Pre-show purchase information can be found by clicking here.


oil on gallery wrap canvas
12'' x 36"

Many of those who frequent this blog will remember the post where I lamented the lack of interest in this particular painting. As fortune would have it, Kenny Wynne agreed to accept it for the up-coming show along with "Chevrolet" (below). Well, one day after the current issue of American Art Collector hit the newsstands (see previous post) he received a call from a collector in Americas' southwest, and it sold. I don't know for a fact that it was seen in the magazine, but it would appear that this is the case. The power of advertising.


oil on gallery wrap canvas
16'' x 20"

I'm presently working on four new paintings for New York, and as I said above they will be posted (hopefully) in the next few days. This being the case I thought it would be an opportune moment to bring some attention to the remaining pieces in the Wynne/Falconer show. Four of the nine paintings have already sold in pre-show purchases, which is pretty cool. Plus it's always nice to have a few red dots to start off a show. Anyone interested in a pre-show purchase of "Chevrolet" (above) can find gallery information by clicking here.

American Art Collector - We're In!

Issue No. 23
September 2007

Well, the September issue of American Art Collector magazine has (finally) arrived. The publisher was kind enough to send Karen, and I two complimentary copies. Needless to say, we devoured them the moment we got them in the door. This was followed by much back slapping and high-fiving. It was a fun afternoon. I have to say that when I read the article I realized that I use the word "really" way too often. I'll have to work on that in the future.

As we perused the magazine we were surprised to see a feature article on a friend of ours. His name is Caesar Santander. We've had a long-distance phone relationship with him for a quite a while now. Four or five times a year one or the other will call, and we'll discuss our careers, and art in general. We also spent a day with him in New York back in '05. Karen and I were cold calling galleries, and he (a resident of NYC) acted as our guide. With the exception of being rejected by twelve galleries, it was a good day. Had the best bowl of gazpacho I've ever eaten at a wonderful spanish restaruant. Pretty much the high-light of that day.

I think Karen, and I will be riding the high of this article for sometime. I've placed it on my website, and I think the text is large enough to actually read. You can access it by clicking here.

PB&J No.5

oil on gallery wrap canvas
12'' x 24"

I'm getting away from the Wynne/Falconer pieces for a little while, and have decided to put up some of the work I've been doing for Stricoff in New York. I've been fortunate in that all of the paintings I've delivered to them so far have sold quickly. Realtively speaking. PB&J No. 5 was just shipped, and should arrive - hopefully - by saturday. This is one of six paintings I have in the works. The other five are in various stages completion. If I can keep myself motivated, I should be able to deliver these by the end of the month. If you have an interest in purchasing this piece you'll find contact information for the gallery by clicking here. I'll be posting images of the remaing paintings as they are completed.

Bob's Kettle

oil on gallery wrap canvas
12'' x 12"

This is the sixth of the completed paintings for the show at Wynne/Falconer gallery. I think this falls into the "muted" palette category I wrote of in an earlier post. It was fun to do a larger reflective piece again, and really get the whole room into the image. This kettle was on loan from Bob Deyber's collection of highly reflective items. He's got some really nice objects, and has generously offered me the loan of these for subjects of future paintings. If you are interested in purchasing this painting you can find gallery contact information by clicking here. The gallery has asked me to state to potential buyers, that any painting purchased prior to the show must remain in the gallery for the duration of the show.

First Anniversary: My Blog at One Year

PB&J No. 4
oil on gallery wrap canvas
12'' x 24"

Well it's been one year since my first post. Hoorah! I wasn't sure at first if this endeavor would amount to anything, or just take up a lot of my time. I have to say, it's been a blast. The postive aspects of it have been numerous. First off, I think it has improved my painting in general. I thought, if I'm going to place images of my paintings up for everyone to see, I had better be creating work that I'm proud of. With that in mind I tend to work a little harder than I might other wise.

The feedback from visitors is really important. In addition to the up-lifiting effect of positive comments, it helps me judge what is working, and what is not. A valuable tool. So, I'd like to thank all of those who took the time to remark on my paintings during the previous twelve months. Thanks.

Another perk from having a blog is being a part of the blogging community. I've discovered so many new artists by following the multitude of links each site provides. The only problem with this is the addictive nature of visiting those links. It's really hard to stop.

I'd like to add one more thank you to Belinda DelPesco who encouraged me to create a blog in the first place. She was very enthusiastic about her own blog, and easily convinced me to start one of my own. Belinda took the time to walk me through the particulars of creating a blog. Sparing me the time I would have had to spend figuring it out. I'd also like to send a word of thanks to Jeff Hayes who gave me the benefit of his extensive knowledge of the blogging world. These two artists were essential in the formation of my blog. So, Jeff and Belinda - Thank You!

Above is the fifth of the finished paintings planned for the show at Wynne/Falconer on September 8th. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are quickly becoming one of my most popular subjects. They're fun to paint, and I've got many more in the works, so I hope they continue to sell. If you are interested in a pre-show purchase of this paintings you will find contact information by clicking here. The gallery has asked to inform potential buyers that the painting must remain in the gallery throughout the duration of the show.

Resting Pear

oil on gallery wrap canvas
10'' x 12"

Here is number four of the completed paintings for the show at Wynne/Falconer gallery in September. I've been tying to go for a slightly moodier look in some of my new paintings. Greying down the colors a bit, and producing a more somber piece. This is new for me, but it's kind of exciting. Here there is no direct sunlight, with its' stark shadows and brilliant highlights. Just a single pear on a soapstone table top lit by the diffuse light of an overcast day. I think I'll throw one of these in from time to time, and explore the potential of a more muted palette.

Karen Hollingsworth

STILLNESS
Oil on gallery wrap canvas
36'' x 36"

It's shameful how I've had this blog for nearly a year now, and as yet haven't devoted any space to the paintings of my wife Karen. Her work has an emotional quality that is hard to describe. Speaking for myself, and I've related this to her many times, I feel as though I can almost smell the salt air blowing in through the open window. I'm transported to these locations, which are very calming, with an occasional hint of melancholy. Her compositions are meticulously planned, and in my opinion her ability to portray light in oil, rivals any artist working today.

Karen knew at an early age that she wanted to be an artist, and twenty years ago she began to realize that dream. I don't know anyone whose enthusiasm for art is greater than hers. She told me when we first met that my paintings had inspired her. I can honestly say, that I probably wouldn't be painting for a living now, had it not been for her encouragement, and infectious drive to paint.

The painting above is one of the pieces she will have at the Wynne/Falconer show in September. We will be sharing the spotlight in a two-man show during that week on Cape Cod. Karen's been working hard preparing for this show, and will be presenting some of her best work to date. A number of these pieces will also be presented in the September issue of American Art Collector magazine.

She has also started to branch out into the high-end print market. Karen has developed a relationship with Gallery Street an art reproduction company here in town, to create MasterpieceTM giclees of specific paintings. The people at Gallery Street have worked very hard to match the subtle colors of Karen's paintings, and I have to say that the quality of these prints is quite amazing. Karen and I color proofed the reproductions along side the originals, and they are a spot-on match. Karen will be offering the prints from her website in these initial stages, with plans to offer them to select galleries around the country in the future.

If you're not familiar with Karen's work, you should take some time and visit her website. I think you'll find it time well spent.

Cherry Goblet

oil on gallery wrap canvas
9'' x 12"

This is number three of the completed paintings for the show at Wynne/Falconer gallery in September. Cherries are a popular theme for me, as is the reflective, so I thought I'd combine the two, and see what happens. I came across four of these little silver goblets at a flea market/antique store not long ago, and fell in love with their shape. I think they will be showing up regularly in future paintings. If you'd like to purchase this piece in a pre-show sale you can contact the gallery by clicking here. The gallery has asked me to state in these postings that any painting purchased prior to the show must remain in the gallery throughout the duration of the show.

Ice Water

oil on gallery wrap canvas
16'' x 20"

Here's another of the finished paintings for the show at Wynne/Falconer gallery in September. I hadn't painted glass in a while, and this water jug is a great subject. I especially like the way it fogs up when it's filled with ice water. This particular piece incorporates a number of favorite themes. One is the use of ice cubes. These are more like ice hemispheres, since they came from the ice maker in the frige, but I still enjoy trying to create that "ice" look.

Another object I've recently added to my repertoire is the aluminum drinking glass. I purchased a set of these colorful metal glasses sometime ago on ebay, placed them in the cabinet, and promptly forgot about them. They were recently re-discovered, and this is my second painting utilizing them. I hope they prove to be popular, because they're fun to paint. If you're interested in a pre-show purchase of this painting you can contact the gallery by clicking here. Wynne/Falconer has asked me to make it clear that any painting purchased prior to the show must remain in the gallery for the duration of the show.

I have some good news about the article in American Art Collector magazine. Karen and I were contacted yesterday by the editor for our interview. I have to say that talking about myself is not something that comes easily, but the editor was very nice, and said that he felt it went well. He stated that they were hoping to use seven images of our paintings in the article, and that it will be in the September issue. That means it should be in the newsstands in late August. Karen and I are, understandably very excited.

The day it comes out we will be buying multiple copies, and there will definitey be a post on this blog.

Balsamic

oil on gallery wrap canvas
10'' x 12"

I've been under a bit of a crunch these last few weeks. Hence the lack of posts showing new work. Karen and I are scheduled to have a show at Wynne/Falconer gallery on Cape Cod in early September. Normally that would have given us around ten weeks to get paintings ready, but Kenny the owner altered the scenario a bit when he informed us that he had arranged to have an article about us in American Art Collector Magazine. When we were contacted by the magazine they let us know that they needed images of art, relating to the show, by the 23rd of July at the latest. Yikes!

So, we've been busy getting some pieces done for the show/article. I emailed my images this morning, and am hoping the files arrive at their office on time, and uncorrupted. I'm posting these images earlier than I would prefer, but it's been a long time since I've shown anything new, and decided, "what the hell".

The magazine is supposed to be contacting us for an interview soon. At this point, it still feels a bit, "iffy", but we're optomistic that it will actually happen. Hopefully, by the next post, we will have heard from them again, and know more about whether the article will be published, and in which issue. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

If you're interested in a pre-show purchase of this painting you can contact the gallery by clicking here. Wynne/Falconer has asked me to make it clear that any painting purchased prior to the show must remain in the gallery for the duration of the show.

Karin Jurick

My friend Karin Jurick is having a show at her gallery 16 Patton in Asheville North Carolina this weekend. It's going to be an impressive collection of paintings. She's been working hard these last couple of months, and the body of work reflects that effort. I think this collection includes some of her best paintings to date.

I am so humbled by her talent. I am hoping that she will one day receive the national attention her paintings deserve. Her brush work, color sense, and compositions are unparalleled. As beautiful as these images are on screen, you have to see them in the flesh to appreciate them fully. They are like little jewels. There is no hesitation in her work. Each brush stroke, position of every element, and choice of each color is deliberate, and perfect. Karin knows exactly what she's doing. She's an awesome talent.



My wife Karen, and I bought a small painting of hers through an ebay auction a couple of years ago, and since we lived in the same town Karin delivered the painting to us at our home. We've been close friends since that day.

This show is predominantly figurative pieces, but includes a group of small paintings of dogs that are wonderful. Seventeen of her paintings have already been sold, illustrating how popular her work is, and righly so. It would not be surprising if the show is a sell-out. I'm proud to call her my friend. If you'd like to see more of her work you can visit her website and her painting blog by clicking here.

Cherry Pear

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

I've only got one new ebay piece this week. I'm working on a pear painting for the galleries, and I wanted to do a study of that particular pear for auction. The gallery piece won't have a cherry, but I thought the two went nicely together. The overall mood of the larger painting will be the same as this smaller version, and that was my intention. To attempt a more muted atmosphere than I usually portray. I think it works. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Jeff Cohen

I'm working on some new gallery paintings at the moment, but nothing is complete as yet. So, I thought it would be a good time to plug my friends again. Jeff Cohen has been working on these "fragmented" water towers for about a year now, and they have proven to be extremely popular. The painting above, entitled Like Candy, is one of his most recent towers, and my favorite to date. It looks good here, but to see it in person is a religious experience.



That piece was at Stricoff in New York, and sold immediately. Jeff has other water towers available at Stricoff, as well as at Twinhouse in Atlanta. He has also had great success with his bicycles like the one above, entitled 110 Degrees, and his still lifes. All done in this fragmented style. His large salt shakers, like the one below, entitled Big Salt, are my favorites.



It's extremely invigorating, and intimidating to visit Jeff, and walk amongst these paintings before they are shipped off. I'm inspired, and simultaneously deflated by his talent. The phrase, "I'm not worthy" creeps into my mind. In truth it makes me work harder.

Karen and I love to visit Jeff, and his wife Leslie (also an artist - I'll post some of her work later) and talk art. It really gets the creative juices flowing. You can see these paintings, plus Jeffs' "Magic Pictures" on his website, which you can access by clicking here.

Jadeite & Cherries

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

Here is number four of this weeks ebay listings. Continuing the red theme. Tonight, it's a bowl of cherries. I've been wanting to work this small Jadeite bowl into some paintings, and I thought it would look good with cherries. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Aluminium Drinking Glasses

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

This is number three of this weeks ebay listings. Continuing a red week. Tonight, it's the vintage drinking glasses. We've had this set of aluminium glasses for a long time, and I've often thought of using them as a subject for a painting. Finally got around to it, an it was really fun. I've got a number of other compositions ready to go. Most of them composed in a larger format intended for the galleries. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Tomato Sill No.2

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

This is number two of this weeks ebay listings. It's going to be a red week. Tonight, it's a little tomato. The next three days will have a couple of cherries, and what I'm hoping will be a pretty cool painting of some vintage aluminium drinking glasses. The predominant glass will be . . . red. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Oil & Vinegar

oil on hardboard panel
4'' x 8"

sold

Starting off this second week of ebay paintings with some salad dressing. We just got these two bottles for dispensing our olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. I knew right away I'd be doing at least a couple of paintings of these bottles. I've already got a number of other compositions ready to go that I really like. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Four in a Row

oil on hardboard panel
4'' x 8"

sold

Finishing off the week with a hint of red. Cherries are back in season, and this is the first of a new batch of compositions. No bowls, no linen, just the fruit on a stone table top. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Ice Cube

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

This is number four of this weeks ebay listings. It seems to be a week of single objects. I've got a few compositions involving ice in the works, so this is a study, of sorts, of ice. Suffice it to say you may see this particular cube again in the future - if one of those compositions gets the go. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Glass Sphere No.3

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

I'm back to the little glass sphere. I never seem to tire of painting this subject. It was lit from above in this composition. I wanted to see, with more direct lighting, if I could draw out the depth of the object. Portray a sense of the "glass". I've just begun a search for an actual crystal ball. One with less impurites, and more refractive capabilities than these particular glass spheres. Utilize it in a manner similar to, but not a direct "rip-off" of, artist Steve Mills. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Goblet

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

I found four of these small goblets at one of our local antique shops. They had a really great shape, and three of the four shined up nicely. They've rekindled my enthusiasm for painting reflective objects, and will probably be seen frequently on this site for a while. If you're interested in bidding on this painting you can do so by clicking here.

Pear

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

I'm back on ebay this week. This is the first of five new six by sixers'. A single pear on a soapstone table top, lit from above by incandescent light. I had a good week, and was pretty happy with all of my new pieces. If you're interested in this one, you may bid on it by clicking here.

Sliced Bread No. 3

oil on canvas
12'' x 12"

Here is another for the upcoming group I'll be sending to Twinhouse. Love the bread. These will be delivered to the gallery in the next couple of days. Early next week I'll be posting some new six by sixer's for ebay. If you're interested in the purchase of this piece, you can contact Tiffany at Twinhouse Gallery by clicking here.

Sliced Bread No.2

oil on canvas
12'' x 12"

Here is another for the upcoming group I'll be sending to Twinhouse. Something for the peanut butter and jelly to go on. These will be delivered together when the group is complete. If you're interested in the purchase of this piece, you can contact Tiffany at Twinhouse Gallery by clicking here.

PB&J No. 4

oil on canvas
10'' x 10"

Here is another of the upcoming group I'll be sending to Twinhouse. PB&J No. 4. I first became aware of this subject through the work of artist Duane Keiser. I discovered his peanut butter paintings listed on ebay by chance, and was inspired to pursue this theme myself. It's a subject I enjoy, and plan to visit often in the future. I'm going to wait, and deliver these paintings together when the group is complete. If you're interested in the purchase of this piece, you can contact Tiffany at Twinhouse Gallery by clicking here.

Tomato on the Edge

oil on canvas
10'' x 10"

I'd like to thank everybody who took the time to "comment" on the painting in the previous post. I received a lot of good advice and positive feedback about the Chevy. I appreciate it. I'm not sure what I'll do with the painting. To tell you the truth, for the moment, I'm really pretty happy just having it hang in my office.
Above is the first post of five new paintings I have earmarked for Twinhouse. A small, really perfect tomato I picked up at the Kroger. This hasn't been delivered to the gallery as yet. I'm going to wait, and take them in together when the group is complete. If you're interested in the purchase of this piece, you can contact Tiffany at Twinhouse by clicking here.

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air

oil on canvas
12'' x 36"

This is not a recently produced painting, but it is one of my favorites. I did it a couple of years ago for a show at Twinhouse gallery. It wasn't particularly well received, and has since been "dissed" by all of my galleries. None will show it. "Can't sell it", is the universal reply. This was the same response my second auto painting, "Chevrolet" received. At first I believed this subject could be a major direction for my work. This obviously turned out not to be the case. I'm sure the gallery directors, and owners, know their clientele, but it remains a source of disappointment for me. I believe these two paintings represent some of my best work to date. Anyway, while I'm working on a new group of still life paintings, I thought I'd bring some attention back to this piece, of which I'm very proud. In a day or two, I'll begin to post the five new paintings I'm currently working on.

Pear on the Edge

oil on canvas
12'' x 16"

I would like to say to all of you who have taken the time to leave "comments" on this blog, thank you. I read them all, derive a great deal of pleasure from the kind words, and take them very seriously. Each painting is a struggle for me, and it's very reassuring to read that my intent with each piece, at least with some, has been achieved. Many comments have brought to my attention aspects of the painting that I hadn't been aware of. So again, thanks. They are very much appreciated.

This piece is currently at Wynne/Falconer. I hadn't done a pear in a while, and it's one of my favorite fruits to paint. This pear sets on the ledge of the wainscotting in the home of my gallery owner here in Atlanta. If you'd like purchase information for this painting, click here.

Pool Balls

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

Here's the second of the four new ebay paintings. Once again - Pool Balls. I've been toying with the idea of doing this subject really large. One of my favorite realists artists, Pedros Campos, creates these beautiful paintings of fruit in cellophane bags, and they are very large. Forty eight inches square. I thought it would be challenging to try something like that myself. Really get into the meat of the subject, and deal with all of the subtleties of value, and reflection. I wouldn't attempt a format quite that large, but possilby 30 x 30. This piece is a six by six, but the composition has been cropped, so that the subject is slightly overscale. Sort of a tentative first step in this project. At this point it's still just an idea, but it's something I've thought about for quite a while. Hopefully I'll find the time, and the courage to actually do it. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can do so by clicking here.

Glass Sphere

oil on hardboard panel
6'' x 6"

sold

I've been working on a few new ebay pieces this week. Here's the first of (hopefully) four six by sixers. The mood struck me this week to do something transparent, so I got out one of my small glass spheres, and placed it on the window sill in the sun. If you'd like to bid on this painting, you can do so by clicking here.

PB&J

oil on canvas
10'' x 10"

sold

Here's more of what I've been working on for the galleries. Peanut butter and jelly. There seems to be a bread theme developing here. I think I'll be exploring this subject for a little while. It's been fun trying to add a bit of texture into my paintings. This piece was just shipped off to New York along with the Pool Balls, and Sliced Bread to Stricoff Fine Art. If you'd like to learn more about this piece you can find contact information by clicking here.

Percolator on Linen

oil on canvas
12'' x 24"

Here's the fourth of the eight finished paintings. I'm back to my favorite Percolator. This will also be one of my entries representing Twinhouse at this years ArtHouse. I wanted to work on a table cloth that was flatter, and not so bunched up, like I usually do. My goal was to show more subtle creases, and latent folds. I think with this piece, the coffee pot, and linen share equal billing. If you'd like to learn more about this piece you can find contact information by clicking here.

Nautilus

oil on canvas
12'' x 12"

Here's the third of the eight finished paintings. I love this Nautilus shell. I've painted it twice before, but couldn't resist doing it again. This will be one of my entries representing Twinhouse at this years ArtHouse. Once a year the Atlanta Gallery Association leases a newly built mansion for a month, and fills each room with artwork from the member galleries. It's a great way to visit a lot of Atlanta galleries without having to drive all over town.If you'd like to learn more about this piece you can find contact information by clicking here.