chili sauce II

Sriracha (hot chili sauce), 5×12in, acrylic on panel

been working on slightly different formats for a while now – some things, like this bottle of hot sauce, felt too cramped in the smaller 4×6in panels.

what’s a sriracha??? turns out it’s related to sambal oelek – same company – but this stuff’s got garlic and sugar and is ground smooth for squeezin. the city cousin, of sorts.

posting’s gonna be a little less frequent in the next few weeks as i gear up for the open studio event. more details to come-

Bianca di Rosa, Gallery Night

Bianca di Rosa eggplant, 8×8in, acrylic on panel

also called a Rosa Bianca eggplant. no idea that these existed – but when we saw it in the ‘native produce’ section at the local market it was a no-brainer. hopin’ it tastes as good as it looks-

PSA – itchin’ for something to do in Providence tonight? it’s Gallery Night – great chance to catch a trolley, see some free art…maybe pop in to a few places that have always been on that “to-do” list

beans, Hopper

summer beans, 4×6in, acrylic on panel

the beans were part of the latest…uh, harvest, so to speak…to be dropped off to market at the Charlestown gallery.

we’ve had a great run this summer with them – the gallery’s in a great spot just off the beach, well worth a visit in the weeks before back-to-school.

one last PSA – Hopper at the MFA closes on the 19th. The show’s fantastic.

Rooms for Tourists, above, was new to me, and one of my favorites in the show. like the rest of the works, it’s not one of those shows where you see a million things in person that reproductions can’t capture – but his work isn’t about paint or surface or facility (sometimes it looks like he’s using a hammer.)

Hopper’s using the paint as a means to capture – and convey – a place in his mind. the ‘blockbusters’, whether constructions of his imagination or born of familiar places (Maine, Mass) are the fully realized personal vision- “My aim in painting has always been the most exact transcription possible of my most intimate impression of nature.”

summer greens

cut cuke, 4×6in, acrylic on panel

the variety of greens is endless right now- these seemed electric.

italian pepper, 4×6in, acrylic on panel

been away from painting with other deadlines and made a coupla studies yesterday trying to get my chops dusted off…think the rock n roll design work i’ve been working on filtered into the off-kilter compositions.

the time away reminded me of something a friend shared about a classical pianist (the name escapes me, but it’s beside the point) “if i skip practice, i notice it. if i skip 2 days, my wife notices. if i skip 3 days, the audience does.”

i’m hardly playing for high stakes, but i still felt it.

Hot off the press

jalapeno, 4×6in, acrylic on panel

the second annual pawtucket open studios will take place this sept 7th 8th, & 9th – hard to believe that’s about a month away-

i’ll be opening my doors to the public – along with what looks to be about 100 other artists, designers, artisans and small business owners working in the mills of pawtucket.

more to come as it gets closer – just wanted to share the info as it’s hot off the press.

once again, it’s being held in conjunction with the pawtucket arts festival. this year’s kick-off events include concerts by c.j. chenier at slater mill and counting crows at mccoy.