Please consider this your formal invitation to Greenwich Art Council's Art to the Avenue.

The opening night festivities include art and artist receptions up and down Greenwich Avenue. You can find a map at any participating vendor. My work will hang at Thai Basil, which is on Railroad Avenue, across from the train station. There is no reception, but I will be there at 5:30. If you're there, please say, "Hi."

Ever since I started painting, I painted the sides of the canvases. I don't recall the reason I started this practice, but I continue it for a number of reasons.

Almost all paintings look better framed than unframed, but in the interim period from the time the painting is finished to the time it is dry (it takes six months to a year!) and can wear a frame, it looks better hanging on a wall with finished edges.

It also makes sense to a collector who buys an unframed piece to be able to hang it before having it professionally framed.

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.

Karyn works on "Rice Krispees". We can't wait to see the finished piece.

Bruce finishes and frames a piece depicting a snowy landscape.

That's me at our FAWG meeting, oblivious of everything except the painting.

Many people, when weighing the merit of an art studio, consider "good light" one of the most important factors.

I don't. Think about it, how many times do you hang a painting in perfect light? Not only that, but when many artists paint in bright light, they tend to use darker colors, resulting in dark paintings, and they often to use a smaller range of values because they see a large contrast. I painted a piece in bright sunlight where all the values blend together. The painting only looks good in bright daylight.

A colleague and friend of mine, Ed Loenen, paints in a dimly lit basement, wearing two pairs of sunglasses! In this way, he actually creates very colorful paintings. You can see, in the painting "Sunshine Coast Near Pender," the resulting vivid colors and strong contrasts. 

My studio's light varies in intensity depending on the time of day. It leans toward dimness. If I paint in plein air, I usually complete the piece in my studio to "color correct."

The word "provenance" refers to the origin or history of an object. Art collectors and gallery curators weigh provenance to measure the significance of works of art and to verify their originality. Few people doubt that Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa, which contributes to its high value.

Once, while looking through a book about antique quilts, I noted that when the a quilt's origin was known, its value was approximately TEN TIMES the value of quilts by an unknown artist.

So, if you're an artist, you can see the value of keeping good records as to where, when and how you create each piece. And if you collect art, you can know that the works of an artist who keeps accurate records will grow in value much faster than one who doesn't!

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.

Have you seen this movie? Based on the true story of Seraphine Louis (Seraphine de Senlis), this movie won seven Cesars, including best picture and best actress. Seraphine (Yolande Moreau), a washer woman who uses every extra sou for art supplies, paints under the encouragement of her guardian angel and art critic and collector Wilhelm Uhde (Ulrich Tukur).

Seraphine's inspired flowers and trees are breath-takingly beautiful.

My parents live on a lake in Florida and in certain months, the weather is perfect for breakfast outside. My parents and I would enjoy breakfast on the deck, often joined by a faithful and friendly woodstock. This scene reflects the happy and festive atmosphere of vacationing amid the exotic flora of Florida.

The earthquake and tsunami news in these recent days have brought back so many memories of my time in Japan and my thoughts are almost constantly of Japan.

I lived in Japan for three and a half years, and painted this scene after I moved back to North America, partly from a sketch, mostly from memory. I lived in this hundred-year-old house in a part of Tokyo that survived the fires, survived the earthquakes, survived the bombings of World War II.

I send all my comfort and support to my Japanese friends and colleagues whom I  remember with great love.