THE LATER YEARS OF ITALIAN PUTTI III

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THE LATER YEARS OF ITALIAN PUTTI III
OIL 24 X 18
$1,000.00

This image is the third of my Italian Putti that asks the question, “Where do all those cute cherubs go once they grow up?” A lot of them learn to play instruments as they cavort up in the ether, but they couldn’t all be rock stars in later life. This guy apparently pursued a musical career.

Once again the piece is heavily textured and uses the palette knife to create rough and smooth surfaces that lead to a sense of ambiguity. He has an etherial quality, but at the same time is current and of the real world. He is solid and transparent at the same time.

The work is also developed on a diagonal grid, much like the earlier pieces of the same title, but this guy has an entirely different color scheme. He is also done on a gessoed board which changes the nature of the finished piece. Without the springiness of a canvas surface, the palette knife becomes more aggressive when used this way.

The piece is available through Xanadu Gallery’s Studio Artist web site. Don’t forget to click on the image for an enlarged view.

 

RECEIVING NEWS FROM THE OTHER SIDE

 

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RECEIVING NEWS FROM THE OTHER SIDE
UNFRAMED OIL 30X24
$1200.00

This is the latest Diva from my studio. As an addition to my ‘Divas and Other Creatures, it reads as part of the line that goes back years through all sorts of images and media. But this one really brings a new spontenaity to the table.

I really had a hard time deciding on the title, as I felt that it could also be a commentary on the tech-head, the over use of digital images, or the spaciness of anyone using an electronic device. They all share that otherworldly stare, and appear cut off from the real world when listening to incoming messages.

The receiving lines / antennae are pinstripes of luminescent orange that reflect into the digital input of pixels floating around in the atmosphere. But here is the real question, is that a black hole looming over the image, or is it the real world looking black and indecipherable in contrast to the bright lights of the digital world? So many questions.

 

QUEEN OF HEARTS

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QUEEN OF HEARTS
OIL 24 X 20
SOLD

I love this piece of whimsey. She is the result of a fascination with the older forms of portraiture that use a standard pose with embellishments. They all sit the same way, and wear the same kind of costumes and look to be frozen in time. They all look to be a bit trapped in their backgrounds. However, I found that by trying to replicate the technique it is revealed that the sitter’s face comes alive in this type of portrait. By painting away the other parts, the face becomes more alive.

The use of a diagonal grid is very evident in this piece. It is almost as if she has been trapped in the maze of lines that underlay the work. However, her face is very strong, and overcomes the background patterns.

By working with the piece as if it were a study of the older portrait form, I found that I could understand why this format continues to satisfy viewers. The very fact that the image is flat, allows the human features to become dominate. It was a very interesting exercise, and I plan to work with a similar format again.

 

The Later Years of Italian Putti II

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THE LATER YEARS OF ITALIAN PUTTI
OIL 24 X 18
$900.00

I just received notification that I was a finalist in the Artist Magazine Annual Competition. This piece was entered in the Abstract & Experimental category.

I was a finalist last year in the landscape category and am really psyched that I have, yet again, achieved recognition at such a high level. The winners will be featured in the December issue of the magazine, and my name will be listed.

Titled “The Later Years of Italian Putti II”, it is one of a series that I have been working on using palette knife and an underlying diagonal grid. I am really happy that this piece placed well in the competition, as it represents the direction that  I am moving in my artistic development.

 

FIRENZE ROOFTOPS

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FIRENZE ROOFTOPS
OIL 24 X 12
SOLD

 

The view is from the top floor cafe of a department store in Florence. Aside from being visually compelling, it has a special charm because of its unexpectedness.  There, amidst all of the hustle and gusto of the city streets, was this quiet little neighborhood with terrace gardens, balconies, staircases and turrets with weather-vane flags. All of them marching up the hillside and sharing the view with those of us having mid-morning coffee. What a perfect little vignette of life in this most wonderful of cities.

 

Siena Stroll II

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SIENA STROLL II
OIL 40 X 30
SOLD

I love the newest of my Italian street scenes. This one is again from Siena, and reflects the ambiance of large crowds contained in small spaces.

I always found that if one is in a crowd like this, one can see the crowd, and the upper parts of buildings. The middle views of the surrounding buildings are blocked by the moving mass of people. So, that is what I render in my work.  Plus I have always been fascinated by people and crowds in cities. Italy is the best place to observe and record people strolling and converging, and being themselves without haste.

Don’t forget to click on the image to see more detail.

Italian Stage

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ITALIAN STAGE
OIL 40 X 30
SOLD

This is the latest piece to go into a private collection. I shall miss it, as it hung over my bookcase and was a constant reminder of the zing that I felt walking the streets of  Siena on a beautiful sunny day.

Ironically, the companion piece that hung over the other bookcase sold a week later and is going into a different collection.

I am working on some new oils the same size to replace this one and the other that was sold. Keep checking here for updates.

SEA WALL WITH PINES

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SEAWALL WITH PINES
OIL ON GOLD LEAF 12 X 16
SOLD

The paint isn’t even dry, but I couldn’t wait to show you all my latest work on gold leaf.

“Seawall with Pines” is a view out over Long Island Sound from Madison, CT.

The effect of painting trees on the gold leaf, is to keep them light and still achieve a sense of  solidity. I am doing an entire series of the lives of trees, this being the third. It is a very delicate balance of paint and visible gold leaf that determines the success of each piece.

AN EXAMINATION OF SUNLIGHT ON CYPRESS

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AN EXAMINATION OF SUNLIGHT ON CYPRESS
OIL 24 X 20
SOLD

The latest work to be added to a private collection is this Tuscan landscape,  called “An Examination of Sunlight on Cypress”

The piece has been with Camilla Richman’s Fine Art in Osterville, MA. Through her it has been sold to a private collector on the Cape, and I am thrilled that my work has found a new audience.

This landscape has long been one of my favorites. The cypress, olives and fading horizon, all evoke a landscape that is timeless.