Monday, December 28, 2015

Le Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris - sold


Oil on Canvas Panel 7"x5"

The Jardin du Luxembourg was created by a homesick Marie de' Medici in the style of the gardens of her childhood in Florence. In a city blessed with an abundance of lovely gardens it is a special gem and I am continually inspired by it. In this painting I've tried to capture the poetry of this garden at twilight.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Portrait of a 1920s Girl - sold


Oil on Canvas 10"x8"

Portraits are an obsession of mine. I love faces. There seemed to be something especially expressive about faces from the twenties and thirties, both in film and still photographs. This young woman puts me in mind of a heroine from a Fitzgerald novel.

Friday, December 18, 2015

Carnations in a Bottle


Oil on Canvas 10"x8"

Many years ago I saw an exhibit of Edouard Manet's beautiful floral and still life studies painted at the end of his life as his health was failing. They were for the most part small, simple compositions, exquisitely observed and poignant. The brilliant economy of Manet's brushstrokes continues to inspire me.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Pomegranate Study


Oil on Canvas Panel 5"x7"

Doing studies from life is one of my favorite things. Conveying realistic form and light while maintaining immediacy can be a challenge. While I also love doing detailed paintings, I'm very pleased that this pomegranate looks spontaneous and the brushwork is lively.


Friday, December 11, 2015

Looking at Caillebotte - sold


 Oil on Canvas Panel 7"x5"

Impressionism is one of my favorite periods in art and an endless source of inspiration. I enjoy the way Impressionists depicted people of their era in their daily lives. Edgar Degas' pastel of Mary Cassatt at the Louvre, is a delightful early version of the popular theme of art lovers in museums. I felt this young art lover at the Art Institute of Chicago beautifully complemented Gustave Caillebotte's painting, Paris Street, Rainy Afternoon. 

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Paris, Late Afternoon - sold


Oil on Canvas Panel 7"x5"

I have always loved Paris and that city has been much on my mind recently. A place I've painted many times, this is my nostalgic view of the Luxembourg gardens.