Pear Imperfect

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

8.1.2007: image rephotographed and reuploaded

Pear in Pink

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Pear as Expected

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Apple as Plumb

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

Looking Down on an Apple

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

A Green Apple Dangling Low

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

The End of a String Catching the Light

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

A Green Apple lit from Above

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

An Apple in Green

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

from 2003

from 2005

Sometimes the Center of Mass Resides Outside the Body

30 x 24 inches, oil on canvas

On Joy and Sorrow and Such

Hatched, 20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

I went to an amazing performance last night by a band named Joy Kills Sorrow. Not feeling qualified to write about a musical performace much beyond saying, "Damn, they were good - you really should hear them play if you get the chance," I'll just quote from their website:

Joy Kills Sorrow blends traditional and contemporary influences with original compositions and age-old melodies, creating a sound that is inherently American and uniquely their own. Featuring the soulful vocals of Margaret Glaspy, the one of a kind styling of banjoist and New England Conservatory Professor Adam Larrabee, the internationally award-winning songwriting and bass chops of Bridget Kearney, the 2006 national flatpicking champion Matthew Arcara, and Berklee College of Music’s pioneering first mandolin student Joe Walsh, Joy Kills Sorrow has deftly crafted a home for itself on the borders between bluegrass, jazz, old-time and pop styles.

Tonight they'll be at the Mayo Clinic, then Iowa City, Morristown, Duluth and Madison before heading back East. You really should hear them play if you get the chance - damn, they're good.

Funny Bunny

20 x 16 inches, oil on canvas

This was going to be "Corduroy Bear" but the bear turned out to be a very stiff and uncomfortable looking model. Fortunately, this bunny was nearby and available - and was happy to take his place.

Downcast Egg

Downcast Egg, oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches

On easel #1: "Corduroy Bear" ; on easel #2: "Framed"

Thanks for the inspiration, Tracy and Steven.

singular references

I was asked to write a 200-words-or-less bio/artist statement for the exhibit described in my previous post. For most artists, myself included, writing these things is like pulling teeth. I did my best, though, and am happy to report that I got it off in time. Still, my mind keeps pulling me back to the well-worn phrase, "Trust the art not the artist."

I paint pictures of objects – still lifes. My paintings are shadow-less, realistic and spare with the intensity of a single object offset by a rich and layered background. These simple objects hang from threads and strings – they have potential, express gravity and are elevated literally and figuratively. They are singular references embodying infinite interpretations – common reference points for a diverse set of reactions.

In the Thick and Thin of Things

Robert and I have been getting .jpgs ready for a group show next fall - a virtual exhibition of projected images. I'm one of many who've been invited - but I'm excited about it nonetheless. It's a conception of Monica Sheets, a recent Jerome Fellow. I'll post again about the show as I learn more - but I thought, in the meantime, I'd share this detail from post 3/26/07 that will be a part of it.

I've been painting eggs for awhile now, and I'm enjoying it, but I miss the thick paint like I used on this snapper. Eggs seem to require a very thin and blended approach to get them to appear three dimensional. I have a feeling though, that after these eggs, I'll be doing something that requires bigger piles of paint on the palette.

As I write, "Downcast Egg" is on the easel. I'm aiming for Friday to post it.