peppers & bread

green pepper 4×6in, acrylic on panel

i’ve been away from the studio for a few days so it’s back to basics – simple, almost monochromatic objects (without packaging!) against black.

bread4×6in, acrylic on panel

they’re some of the things i first painted when i started the project – and, as kitchen staples – will no doubt paint again.

red pepper 4×6in, acrylic on panel

the color tie-in with Italy’s flag, Il Tricolore, was unintentional – but when in Rome…here’s a chance get a free italian cookbook & support hunger relief at the same time.

it’s simple: click the link, download the cookbook, and Barilla donates $1.00 to America’s Second Harvest.

it’s an offer you can’t refuse.

last bit of chocolate (for now).

chocolate heart 6×6in, acrylic on panel

at the risk of beating a dead horse, yet 2 more ‘red & brown’ paintings – last 2 for now. my sweetie picked up this chocolate heart at local chocolatiers-of-the-gods garrison confections (perfectly rich without being too sugary – AMAZING.)

if you’re in the RI area and haven’t stopped by their east side sweet shop, ya don’t have much time – according to the paper, it’s closing on feb 29th so they can refocus on wholesale & online sales.


chocolate-dipped strawberries 4×6in, acrylic on panel

we saw this pair of stem-on strawberries when we popped into pastiche for some coffee – it’s our usual spot after italian grocery stops on providence’s federal hill. (if you’re new to the hill and are looking for a tour guide, look no further.) it was just after valentine’s but they looked too good to pass up.

valentines hearts

foil heart I 4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

the second half of the valentine’s commission, and a belated thanks to the Tetreaults for the candy sweethearts in yesterday’s post. nother thanks, to Ginni, for these foil hearts – they were perfect. thanks guys!

foil heart II 4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

so, lookin for a romantic after-dinner movie tonight? 2003’s Love Actually. (no brainer.)

foil hearts4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

recommended listening, continuing the UK theme- Nick Drake’s Northern Sky, James Hunter’s Mollena, & Van Morrisons’s Sweet Thing

valentine kisses

kiss I 4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

the first batch of painting i’ve done this month – but it feels like i’m out of the gate in stride, fast & loose. my better half pointed out that they’re actually larger than life size for once. (wasnt a conscious decision, and they’re still miniature works, but it got me thinkin about a bigger series, something i’ve resisted up until now. we’ll see.)

kiss II 4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

compared to these guys, from about the same time last year, the reds feel more vibrant – i’ve added a few synthetics to my palette (quinacridone magenta, pyrrole red , alizarin) since. that’s ’bout 6 in all – counting the trusty cads – and might seem a bit much, but the bullpen’s for zactly this purpose.

sweethearts 4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

they’re part of a valentine’s commission – i’ll have the other half up tomorrow

Chez Pascal, Mise en place

our first local showing of the year is now on the walls at at Chez Pascal – a cozy, neighborhood restaurant on providence’s East Side. (sounds french, but think fresh/local/seasonal like icons Gramercy Tavern & Chez Panisse.)

it’s a bit of a surprise – chef/owner matt gennuso and i just celebrated an informal 5th anniversary of a conversation that runs something like “hey matt, when are you gonna show me how to butcher a pig?” (killer house-made bacon) “yeah, when are you gonna bring some artwork by?”

i’ve got a commission in the works for another local gem that i’d expected to announce first – but i was thrilled for this ‘un to finally fall into place. can’t share the other one yet, but they’re both among the small handful at the very top of the providence – hell, Rhody – restaurant heap.

we’ll be rotating work thru the next 3 months – so if ya missed any of the december shows, or haven’t tried the food yet, there’s a good window ahead.

Chez Pascal
960 Hope Street (corner of 9th St) Dinner Tuesday thru Saturday 401.421.4422

so, Mise en place? Literally “put in place” – a kitchen term that (without anthony bourdain’s use of expletives and tales of ’savage drinking’) sez you’ve done your prep work & are ready for whatever comes your way.

in my kitchen, it’s meant no longer swearing and chopping like mad as something else smokes on the stove. in the studio, my meez means the paints are laid out where i need em. it’s also come to mean knowing my inventory & having support materials to take advantage of opportunities – like chez pascal – when they pop up on the radar.

(this all may seem small potatoes, but has come at the expense of missed chances to show work and lotsa burnt pizza dough going from the grill to the bushes in the back yard)

ok, that’s enough – but you’re curious & wanna see a chef’s meez, look here. (still curious? there’s another link here to a home cook’s indian spice meez.)

may not look like much yet, but after a week of work, the new studio space (above) is getting close for primetime. i’m sharing the 2200sq ft space with 3 ridiculously talented artists.

things seemed to fall into place from the start – i’ve known 2 of them since risd; they were looking for a communal studio space; and a spot happened to be available in my building, 2 floors up.

so, without further ado, my new studio mates:

from left: jason brockert, dan sousa, sean thomas.
(click on each for more info)

movin out-

many thanks again to friends – old and new – for the fine 2 year run in our space at #108. almost forgot to take a picture of the final night last week.

compared to the warmth (& wine) during the last hurrah, it’s a little bittersweet to see my former studio looking like…well…the aftermath of mardi gras (without the broken beads and puke.)

the firecracker pop (summer mix, above) and a dessert piece (below) were both recently featured in this great surprise writeup here.

hoped to share more – our dancecard already has half a dozen offers to show ’round New England in the coming months – but nothing’s set in stone just yet.

i’ll save the stuff on my new digs – and studio mates – for the next post.

in the still of the night.

bagel, knife, 4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

sometimes i see just how far i can push the lighting – to see if i can make something read well, even as it just appears out of the murk.

baked beans, 4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

usually, i’m imagining the way a Caravaggio or Rembrandt might have been illuminated a few centuries ago.

ice cream, 6×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

so when i overheard this during a recent opening, it tickled me so much i almost laughed out loud: “it looks like someone snuck down to the kitchen for a midnite snack…(other voice) yeah, or like it’s being lit by an open fridge door.” (not sure if it was about the ice cream, but that’s a good a midnight craving as any.)

candy, 4×6in, acrylic on panel -sold-

other best line, overheard, about the candy – “it almost looks like it’s being abducted.” (it’s not like i was painting reese’s pieces)

these works were all part of the flinn gallery show that closed last week. gotta buncha updates – including the studio move – coming in the next post.