"Girl Talk"

5 x 7"

oil on panel
sold

I'm planning out an upcoming solo show that will feature the ladies of the art world.  Not so much the artists but the portrayals of women through the ages.  One that first came to mind on my now-long list of possibilities was Edward Hopper's Chop Suey - which, by the way, just broke a record in a Christie's art auction.  Painted in 1929, Chop Suey became the most expensive work of pre-war American art, selling for nearly $92 million.

Chop Suey is quintessential Hopper for a couple of reasons.  Hopper loved the spaces of restaurants, not so much the food - hence, the empty table except for the teapot.  Hopper was famously uninterested in food and known to eat his meals right out of a can.  Chop Suey restaurants were the rage in the 1920's, mostly frequented by young, working-class women dining together.  Another usual subject matter of Hopper's.  He and his wife went to this particular restaurant often, The Far East Tea Garden, once located in the Upper West side of Manhattan, no longer there.  Hopper's wife posed for all three of the women figures in the painting, also a usual habit.

Fun fact - Chop Suey means 'odds and ends' in Cantonese.

"Mercato"

12 x 7"

oil on panel
sold

I was in the middle of painting this piece earlier in the year and had to put it aside to jump on paintings for a group show and frankly, I forgot about it.  I discovered it a few weeks ago in my storage area and decided to finish it.

This was a scene from No. Market Street, in Charleston, South Carolina - just across the street from the Charleston City Market.  The restaurant is now closed, but I did see a new French restaurant took it's place.

"The Grill"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

I'm in the mood to paint scenes in Chicago - starting with a waiter working at The Local - Chicago, a great restaurant I frequented during my last visit at the corner of E Delaware and Mies van der Rohe.

"Mr. Cool"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

As I walked around the Upper East Side, looking for lunch, I spotted this gentleman outside, waiting for the bustle to begin. This painting will be included in my ongoing series ATL to NYC & Back

"A Lull"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

There was a lull. I got back to painting and found the mess around me unsettling. So I did a long-overdue cleanup of my studio which lead to a long-overdue cleanup of my distribution center (formally my dining room) which lead to pulling out my winter clothes and cleaning them. Back to work.

This new painting is part of my ongoing series ATL to NYC & Back - a couple of waiters during a lull, spotted in Little Italy.

"Outdoor Dining"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

I'm packing up my art stuff for a workshop, I won't be painting until I start that up November 1st - I'm really looking forward to it. Lots to do to prepare. Also heading to Asheville on Saturday to attend the opening for a group show at 16 Patton - hope to see you there.

Before I go, I want to show you one of the paintings that will be included in this year's Charleston Art Auction - a scene from my visit last November - some diners I spotted on East Bay Street, outside of Pearlz Oyster Bar, on a cool, autumn evening.

Please click here for a larger view.

Happy Trails ~ I'll be sure to blog from the coast. It's Zac and Joey's first beach trip, so they'll be blogging too.

"Wine:30"

10 x 10"

oil on masonite
sold

The scene was from an open-air restaurant on Mulberry Street, in Little Italy, New York City.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Under The Influence"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

This, you could say, is painted from my alter ego - enjoying less detail, seeing things in a more abstract sense. A blink, a glimpse. And to paint this way - a lot of squinting.

From Charleston, diners enjoying a mild, November evening under the glow of Pearlz Oyster Bar.

"Dayglow"

8 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

Included in the grouping of 8 Squared, a scene from Mulberry Street in New York City's Little Italy, where outdoor diners were tucked underneath a row of glowing, yellow umbrellas.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Alfresco"

8 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

This new painting is taken from a little side patio outside of an Asheville restaurant where, every time I pass by, I see a painting in my head. This piece will also be included in the upcoming show
8 Squared at the 16 Patton Gallery. I'll be at the gallery Saturday evening - please come by and say hello - if you don't see me, I'm probably a few doors down at this very spot, composing more paintings in my head.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Bay Breakfast"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

Quite a lot, I'll paint a scene from a place I enjoyed - and want to remember. Like on the top floor of Lowell's Restaurant & Bar, in the Pike Place Market. I needed a big, warm breakfast and nailed it. Add to that, a view of the Port of Seattle, the Cascade Mountains and the Puget Sound. I sat up there for a good while just taking it all in.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Metropolitan Grill"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

(detail)

I painted this back in April, a result of my curiosity with a value study technique - using burnt umber and olive green as the base color. A medium tone covers the entire board - then the lighter areas are a result of diluting the paint down to the white surface, likewise the darker areas are the umber/green with a touch of black. Near the end, I added a touch of white/gold to the highlights to give it a warm glow, very much the mood in reality. This interior scene is taken from a well-known steakhouse in Seattle, the Metropolitan Grill. Truth is, I wanted to keep this painting but I do need to make a living.


a note ...... I'm heading out of town for more picture-taking, my last trip before it gets too hot to enjoy walking around a city. Happy trails and I'll be back with a whole lot of new work next week.

"Metropolitan Grill"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite

Yesterday was a difficult day here at home. Our dog, Petey, was having tests done at the vet - to determine if cancer had spread beyond what was removed several weeks ago. Honestly, all I could do to stay sane was to get lost in a painting. And with the recent exercises I'd done with the umber, I tried a larger scene, adding just a tint of warmth. I haven't decided if I'll keep working with more color or leave as is. For now, I just like looking at it.

At the end of the day, the news was pretty positive for our Petey - a great chance that we caught it early enough. Good news and hopefully many years ahead of chasing chipmunks.

"Salsa Seat"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

I start these paintings that have straight lines, buildings, etc... and I think why am I doing this? It's just plain hard work. But satisfying when it's done.

This scene is from Asheville, a couple of doors down from the 16 Patton Gallery where I show my work. It's the side window seating of a great restaurant called Salsa.

Please click here for a larger view.

"This Better Be Good"

6 x 6"

oil on masonite

sold

My painting time has been short lately - I'm working on getting a bad knee healthy again.

This new painting is taken from a restaurant in Asheville called the Tupelo Honey Cafe - a girl sitting patiently for what was promised to be a good breakfast.

"Rosebud's on Rush"

6 x 6"

oil on masonite

sold

Hello all - I'm back home, rested and now that I've caught up at work, I'm happy to say I'm painting again. Oh how I missed it.

As you may know, I spent three days in Chicago - it was fantastic. The weather was perfect, the people were out in droves and I was envisioning paintings just about everywhere I looked. This new painting pretty much depicts the beginning of my adventure - as I arrived in the city early in the evening, starving and ready for a plate of chicken marsala at a little restaurant just around the corner from my hotel. The pressed, white tableclothes glisten in the sun, the waiters are handsome and the food is outstanding. Many more new paintings to come - I'm totally psyched.

"In the Wings"

5 x 7"

oil on masonite

sold

Back to my observations in San Francisco - I had dinner with a good friend in a very cool little French restaurant on Grant Avenue called Cafe de la Presse.

Recently someone asked me what I really yearn to paint and I think the answer would be the life inside of restaurants. Everything from the diners to the waitstaff to the cooks. There's something about the warmth of the interiors I particularly love as well as the handsome vision of a waiter.

"Oriental Pearl"

5 x 7"

oil on masonite

sold

After I spent a couple of hours in the museum, I started to crave Chinese food. Good Chinese food. So I took Rachel Ray's suggestion and found the Oriental Pearl, tucked away in Chinatown. It was quiet and elegant and perfect.

This painting is one of my occasional homages to Wayne Thiebaud, one of my favorite living artists.

"Waiting on Lasagna"

5 x 7"

oil on masonite

sold

It is so great to be back to painting again. On Christmas day, I made lasagna, put it in the oven, came out to my studio and squeezed out a brand new palette of paint. Honestly, the colors were so intoxicating - I just dabbled in a little bit of everything.
This was a little restaurant I spotted in Savannah, back in the spring.