Current work current show

I'm right now in a group still life exhibition at Artists' House Gallery in Philadelphia, PA. The gallery director there, Lorraine Riesenbach,  has been wonderful about including me in several group shows despite the fact that I am essentially on leave of absence from most of my other work obligations due to being in graduate school.  Although participating in the shows is a bit of a strain, one more flying ball in my very large juggling act, it's probably a very good thing not to lose the showing momentum.  Participating in showing work keeps you grounded in reality...and reality sometimes feels a very long way away from graduate school..land of theory! ;-) So I am grateful to her for her persistence and patience with me.

Here are the pieces in Beyond the Ordinary:

Big Magnolia, o/c, 24 x 20 inches, 2012

Monhegan Island Still Life, o/c, 12 x 16, 2012

Sage and Acorns, o/c, 11 x 14,  2012

Beyond the Ordinary Still Life

February 29 through April 1, 2012 

Artists' House57 North Second Street  Philadelphia, PA 19106  (215) 923-8440   Wed - Sun 12-5 PM or by appointment 

Reception:

Sunday,
March 4,
1 - 4pm

artists' house gallery website:

http://artistshouse.com/

Duet

Joined, oil on linen, 12 x 9 inches, 2011

DUET is this week's prompt at Illustration Friday. This is a painting I completed about a month ago and I think it fits the bill. I am in the Philly area and we sure do love our soft pretzels here! I am originally from NYC and we loved our pretzels there too, but the NYC pretzels are an entirely different configuration. In any shape, soft pretzels are best bought from a street vendor on a cold day,  eaten warm with a zigzag of mustard. If you get a blob of mustard on your cheek and someone kisses it off...all the better!

Savour

Lobster with Brioche, oil on canvas, 2009, 20 x 24 inches

This was painted last year for the "Consider the Lobster" exhibit at gWatson Gallery in Stonington, ME. In case you're interested here's the link! For a funny story about how I rented the lobster from a props supplier and then could not bear to return it, click here.

 

Afterwards, Red Velvet

Winged Cupcake
A friend took me out for lunch last week. This is a rare event because I don't actually like to go out to lunch...it disrupts my working day and I have little enough time as it is. I'll go out for breakfast or dinner, but lunch, almost never. Still, a number of factors lined themselves up and off we went to lunch. Great place, the food was absolutely delicious and Roz suggested we have dessert too. I looked at all the gorgeous baked goods lined up like sugary little soldiers in the lighted case and knew a fierce hunger...to paint, not eat. So I had a cup of tea while Roz ate a sweet, and afterwards I carried my dessert home in a little box to paint. Which I did. Yum.

Winged Cupcake, oil on canvas on panel, 4 x 6 inches

Oldie but Goodie

Looking through some old files and saw this little cutie...a birthday party cupcake homemade by me for one of the little boy's birthdays. Cupcakes are so in these days, but they tend to be much larger, with a lavish crown of icing. I don't think anybody uses sprinkles anymore either...a blast from the past! And, in truth, this was probably only five or six years ago...how times change! Still sweet though. ;-)

greenery-yallery

Greenery-Yallery Apple, oil on linen on wood, 5 x 7 inches, 2010

I had a hard time with this one for unknown reasons. Still not really finished. But I've already spent six times as much time on it as I wanted to (it happens!) Time to move on I think.

Three Eyes

Potato with Three Eyes, oil on linen on wood, 5 x 7 inches, 2010

Just realized the theme over at Illustration Friday this week is subterranean, and by a stretch of the imagination this vegetable which grew underground fits the bill.

Green Jello

Green Jello: First Attempt, oil on linen on wood, 5 x 7 inches. 2010

I found Jello to be a surprisingly challenging subject! It is translucent, reflective, smooth, and textured, with lots of inner goings on: bubbles and fissures and air pockets.

Glazed

Glazed, oil on linen on wood, 8 x 6 inches, 2010
This was one session: it's difficult to achieve that glazed look without actually glazing! ;-)

P.S. Just donated this piece to Dear Fleisher, a fund-raiser for a local subsidized city art center.

Onion Skin

Onion Skin, oil on linen on wood, 8 x 10 inches, 2010

This is alla prima, all done in one session, but not exactly speed painting as it took me about an hour and 45 minutes. I might go back and do a little touch-up and glazing: then again I might not.

Dog Biscuits

Attila's Biscuits, oil on gessoed ragboard, 4 x 6 inches

(Thanks to my friend Mary and her dog Attila, for the props!)

Sweet

Little Gold Sweet, oil on canvas, 2.5 x 3.5 inches, 2010

Bagel on Blue

Bagel on Blue, oil on gessoed ragboard, 4 x 6 inches, 2010

The Blue Mint

The Blue Mint
oil on gessoed ragboard, 2.5 x 3.5 inches, 2010

My grandfather used to keep a stash of these in his pockets.

Overturned Mushroom

Overturned Mushroom
oil on gessoed cardboard, 4 x 6 inches, 2010

Little Stripey Mint

Little Stripey Mint,
oil on gessoed cardboard, 2 x 3 inches, 2010

Thyme in a Bottle

Thyme in a Bottle
oil on linen on wood, 6 x 4 inches, 2010

I might go back and touch up the label a bit more tomorrow or the next day. The paint is too thick and wet for me to get further detail in. BTW, I truly did not even think of the song title till after I'd posted the image! Now I've got it in my head....

Tangerine with Leaf

Tangerine with Leaf, oil on canvas on wood, 5 x 7 inches, 2010

Yellow Onion

Yellow Onion, oil on gilt cardboard, 6 x 8, 2010

One Persimmon

Vincent's Persimmon, oil on canvas on board, 5 x 7, 2010

My cousins Mary and Keith were visiting a few months ago and brought me some persimmons grown by their friend Vince. The others rotted quickly but this one lasted through my painting of it...my studio is a bit like an icebox that way. Anyway, I just finished its portrait yesterday (the leaf is still intact although the fruit is no longer glossy!)