"Cantaloupe & Peaches"

Private Collection, Ft. Worth, Texas

This 6 x 8 inch oil is the companion piece to "Silver Cup & Peaches", sent to Galerie Kornye West recently for their annual Fall Art Walk.

Of the two, this was painted first, as an homage to Chardin. His painting, "The Cut Melon", remains one of my favorites.

As I tried to set up the cantaloupe so that it would have a shadow pattern similar to the original, I received my first "aha!" surprise from the great Master. It was impossible to set it up in the same way, tho I tried many times. With my daylight source coming first from the right, then from the left, moving the cantaloupe slice this way and that, it slowly occurred to me that Monsieur Chardin painted reality as he wanted to see it, not necessarily as it was.

His work reminded me that representational art is not simply about copying, but about creating something poetic with the look of reality.

As Degas said "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."

Antique Roses

"Antique Roses", Oil on canvas on board.
17 inches x 15 inches.


Price: $2550.00, US dollars.
Visa, MC and Paypal accepted.
Shipping included to US locations.
World wide shipping extra.

Yellow Roses #4

This is the last one of the Yellow Rose Series.They are enjoyable from the standpoint of forcing one to go a bit farther, simply to fulfill the committment. Hoping to start a fresh series tomorrow- maybe a series of watercolor still life around a silver theme....or if weather permits, I've been wanting to start a series of watercolors entitled "Lakeview". My neighborhood was profoundly affected by Katrina. Only recently have I been able to paint any of the damaged homes. It's very emotional to see so much devastation every day. Since we returned to New Orleans less than a year ago, I've learned to bake fresh bread to avoid having to go to any grocery stores, which are @ 3 miles away in 2 different directions, but which all require driving through once lovely, thriving neighborhoods. Things are getting better slowly...It's unbelievably better than it was this time last year...but many homes and businesses remain untouched since the storm.

Yellow Rose Series #3

This is the painting the client chose. I'll post #4 tomorrow. The second, third and fourth paintings in the series are all very similar, with slight changes here and there. My habit is to buy fresh yellow roses and then do everything else imaginable before I actually sit down to paint them.

Yellow Roses #2 in a Series

Two Kisses

"Wasp", Sold

October: Tigers & Cards

Pears in Crystal, Late Afternoon

Plein air study late in the day of 2 pears in a glass dish. The light was both subtle and disappearing rapidly. I enjoy painting in those kinds of situations- snow flurries, drizzling rain, the sun setting- because they require an extra push of complete attention and effort. No sleepwalking allowed!

"Yellow Roses3", Commission, NFS

This is one of a series of 6 x 8 in. Yellow Rose paintings.

Eggcup and Matches