The Creation of Equus

Oil on Wood.  Still to add some shading on the very white background once it dries. It is all in the layers!

The Human Form, continued...

Layers and Layers of pencil, pastel on sand paper.  Sanded, drawn, sanded, softened, then photographed with purple filter.

New Nude

Pastel on Grained Paper

Creation of a Cowboy

As Hurricane Irene approached yesterday, I started working on an upcoming Equestrian Exhibit and left the winds and rain to take its toll outside as I was cosy in the lower level of my house, with music, bright lights and my favorite Vetiver candle contributing an inspiring wiff every now and then. I went through Bach, Mozart, Frescobaldi, Handel, Scarlatti and Bach again.  This cowboy made its way through the storm and now heads into the light. The worst is over now and the painting is complete. Oil on canvas.  48 x 60.

Below are images of the process from beginning to end as it was recorded through my lens.

New Work. JS Bach Revisited

Oil on Canvas.  36 x 48.  Completed today, 08.28.11

My two Renditions of a Mentor

After I graduated in 1996 with a Doctorate in Piano, I became consumed by fine arts and traded the piano bench for other creative mediums.  I had a signed photograph from my beloved teacher Bela Siki and as I was feeling my toes in the waters of new mediums, I used the photograph to work from.  I remember still, both were created on the floor of my living room.  On the carpet, right next to the piano.  The first, pencil on paper.  It is with this drawing that I became aware of the power of shade and light.  How a flat surface becomes three dimensional with the use of shading.  It was an excellent learning tool. The forehead in the spotlight.  And what a marvelous forehead! 

The second was a quick experiment with coffee on watercolor paper.  I did, after all, live in Seattle!  So this medium was an inevitable choice!

New Work. 48 x 60. Oil on Wood. NY

'Balanchine' 2010. Oil on Canvas. New York. 48 x 60"

This painting is one of my favorites and while it has had numerous attempts of conviction from buyers to part with it, I simply cannot sell it.  The photo does little justice. It is soft, moody and pulls the viewer into an abyss of softness. Layer upon layer.  It is large and its size contributes to the balance of emotions it evokes. Perhaps one day, when the right buyer with the right place for it appears I will part with it like a mother with child.  As long as I have visitation rights, from time to time...

Sophie Helps

At times, when there is a deadline or a last minute inspiration, I use my Manhattan apartment to create paintings.  It is really wild, because it is everything but an environment to paint large canvasses! And of course, Sophie is always present and cares not for anything but her ball.  She sometimes runs across the canvasses when they lay flat and I have kept her little paw marks in many a painting.  These images show two canvasses which I worked on simultaneously.  The 'during' phases and the finished products. When inspiration or deadlines call, drop-cloths and risk is all that is needed.

Under Layers.  The process...

The completed piece. Many many layers, from dark to light.

Sophie needing attention with her ball while I keep an eye that she doesn't step paint onto the area rugs or floors....not an easy task!

The completed piece.  Working from black to charcoal to lighter and lighter layers.

New and Old

While I am drawn to and have lived in many different aesthetic styles and moods, I always return to the simplicity of white.  In an old historic environment like this, it creates an instant breath of fresh air that is relaxed, yet sophisticated.  I believe that one should have two, or maximum three colors for staple items in a room.  Beyond that, it becomes confusing to the eye.  Here there are two colors, with a third as accent.  It opens up the room and compliments people and accessories. The additional accents can be art, pillows, accessories, books.   You notice the person, and not the interior so much.  The successful juxtaposition here of an old patina on the boiserie, married with the casual linens and cottons, contemporary art, old pottery and ceramics, and a contemporary coffee table makes for a room to behold in joy.

Nude Study 2004 Aix en Provence

This is a quick study I did in Aix en Provence in 2004.

I came across this magnificent chocolate paper in the art supply shop that was thick and had somewhat of a sand paper texture to it.  I loved both the color and texture.  It has since been purchased and framed and found a home in Lourmarin in the Luberon Valley.  

New Works

While these new paintings appear very simplistic, the bear many many layers of color in order to create the final depth.  The red, for instance, has 22 layers of red.  These were created for a specific minimalist project.  Completed August 2011.

The Original Nude Continued...

Beauty and Cuisine in Africa

The superbly situated and designed gastronomical paradise called "Waterkloof Estate" in Somerset West,  South-Africa oozes of beauty, original and daring architecture, topped with world-class cuisine.  A feast for all senses to be sure. A fusion of nature, splendor and artistry presented in perfect duality.

The Ever Present shadow

Great Barrington

As I was driving through Great Barrington yesterday, I brought my vehicle to a sudden halt upon passing this meadow.  It was truly magical.  A blanket of fog was in the midst of brooding over an agricultural field.  Next to a brooke, being in a lower valley, the changing temperatures and climate brought about this magical scene.  I captured it at just the right moment.  There is beauty all around us.  We simply need to open our eyes and see it!

Studio of Sculptor Henry Moore 1964

Polka Dots have always made me smile.

Studio Vignette

Abundant Choices

No poverty can take away the beauty that is around us each day. Do we need no lavish homes and excess in order to express beauty? If only we wipe the fog of materialism from our brows, natural beauty will unfold itself effortlessly.  It is there for the taking, to love and behold by all.  Free.  These images of lesser 'fortunate' people in India reflect this truth.  Like children who invent their own toys in isolation and lack of the norm, these poverty stricken individuals reach at nature to adorn and enrich themselves.  They have little or no material wealth, yet they are rich and abundant.  It is a choice, and the only requirement is awareness.

Remarkable Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt

This photo taken in 1963 in Paris at Tuileries Puppet Show remains at the top of my list of great photos of the 20th Century.  Take a look at the variety of emotions all present at once.  It shows, how children, at early age reflect their personalities and how we as humans respond so differently to the same scenario. It is a fantastic capture of human life, and the innocence and captivated presence of these children is priceless. 

Large Commissioned Work NY

For a project in the Ritz Towers I was commissioned to produce this painting for the entrance. It is very large at 12 feet wide and very specific to the Client's taste and request.  I titled it "Birth of Dawn" Oil on Wood.

A Splash of Red

For the Client who is formally inclined, who uses this residence for large receptions and gatherings, lacquered walls, valuable art, marble floors and a sense of high polish captures the essence of the design.