The "curve" of the horizon in this painting differs from my other paintings in it's angularity, reflecting the designs in the tablecloth.
Parallelograms and trapezoids make up the designs in this table cloth. The vase creates movement because it defies the angle of the table on which it sits, seeming to rise up from it.
Circles make up the flowers. It always amazes me how the simple shape of a circle can create an infinite number of patterns.
You'll see, faintly in the background, the shapes of cellos and their bows. Probably an influence from my fellow painter and musician, Craig Calistro, these shapes also reflect the lyricism of this Floodles series.
The frame for this painting is hand painted with (you might have guessed) a trapezoid and parallelogram motif and a gold lining.
This painting made its public debut at Wendy Nylen's Picture This Gallery in Westport on July 11th, 2011.

The design on this tablecloth originated with a design from another painting, "Sergio's Dahlias." (See below) I liked the way the curved checks gave movement to the painting. The chrysanthemums in the "Sergio's Dahlias" also inspired the imaginary flowers in Floodles III in the way that their leaves and petals seem to dance.
All the designs in the purple checks are square-based, and all the designs in the dark blue square are circle-based, none of them alike.
I hand painted the frame for this painting, with alternate square- and circle-based metallic gold paint. You'll find metallic gold highlights all over this painting. They don't show so much in a  photograph, but add dazzle to the real-life version.

I painted Floodles (oil on canvas, 24" x 30"), along with Paisels expressly for the Thai Basil show in Greenwich. Danny, the owner, was so welcoming and enthusiastic about showing my paintings in his restaurant. But the prime places for display were the two large plate-glass windows facing the street. Alas, most of my paintings were small.

This was the first time in my life I experienced a painting emergency, since these windows called for larger works and there was less than one month for me to fill the quota. I designed two paintings and then painted in stolen moments. I painted in a restaurant while waiting for the installation of new tires. I painted in a lobby while waiting for someone behind schedule. The day before the show, my friend Lynn helped me choose frames and frame the paintings.

I don't know how the rest of the world feels about these paintings, but when I told the waiters at Thai Basil that I'd designed the paintings especially for the restaurant, they were very pleased.

This painting represents the first in a series that divert from my typical style. Wendy Nylen, of Picture This Gallery in Westport, calls it a "new direction." Somewhere between my first sketch and the final rendition of a painting, I've always diverged from reality. In this painting, and in subsequent paintings, I diverge earlier. I like symbols to enter the painting from the recesses of my mind.

Like a musical composition, I like to portray lyrical scenes that harmonize rhythmically. It interests me to include natural shapes: spirals, hearts and crescents.

I painted this painting in response to a show on Greenwich Avenue. Thai Basil will exhibit my paintings, and because the restaurant features two large picture windows, I'm painting two larger works (24" by 30" on the vertical.)

Some of my fellow artists noted this style as different from most of my other paintings. It seems my style has shifted. I'm no longer painting irises or asters or sunflowers, but spirals and cones, tubes and circles. And while these flowers could exist, they come partly from my imagination.

Paisley is one of my favorite designs, and the fun of painting these designs is making every paisel different.

Ocean of Flowers

Art to the Avenue in Greenwich is an annual art show where Greenwich merchants display works from members of the Greenwich Arts Council.

Thai Basil, at 280 Railroad Avenue, (right across from the train station) will display some of my art. This works out perfectly, because I love Thai food.

Art to the Avenue will host receptions on the Avenue on Thursday, May 5th, 2011 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

When I lived in North Vancouver, I taught part-time at a Waldorf school. The days that I taught, I'd hike half an hour up Lynn Valley Canyon to school, change  my hiking boots for shoes, and go to class. I knew I had the best commute of anyone in probably the whole world.

One day, on the way back from school, I sketched these skunk cabbages growing in a stream. When I painted the scene on canvas, I was disappointed, and put the painting in my "discard" pile to paint over and reuse the canvas. About four years later, after I'd moved to Connecticut, I retrieved my art supplies from storage and found this canvas. I thought I'd give the painting another go and "play" with it. It's now one of my favorite paintings.

For a long time after my experiment with this painting, I held the idea that all paintings, if not great at first, were redeemable. I've now changed my mind. But although some paintings, I now believe, are beyond redemption, this painting is a shining example of one that was not!

I sketched these  brilliant flowers at the Westport Farmer's Market, in Westport, Connecticut and then painted them later in my studio. (Market Flowers, oil on canvas, 11 x 14) I like to forget about color rules when I paint, and let the colors play amongst themselves. You can see how "ugly" colors contributes to some of the most interesting combinations.

Markets have always interested me because of their lively and friendly atmosphere. I especially enjoy this market because of the beautiful, fresh, organic produce which comes from nearby farms. The Friends of Hall Brooke will display this painting at their annual art show.

This painting, Dahlias sur la Table Bouclee, (oil on canvas 12 x 16) shows dahlias from Sergio Losapio's garden. I especially like this painting because the diamonds of the table and the petals of the flowers create an interesting juxtaposition of shapes which gives the illusion of movement and energy.

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