Special End of Year Thank You

Coming to the end of the year, I'd like to thank my collectors and readers by offering these two paintings at a greatly reduced price. I've had them in my studio for a little while, and very much want to see them enjoyed as they should be, so I'm making them available for $100 each plus shipping (unframed). If you've been thinking of collecting one of my paintings, or adding to your collection, this is a terrific opportunity to do so.



"Tangerine Number One"
Oil on panel, 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm)
Sold



"Two Shotglasses No. 3"
Oil on panel, 3.5 x 3.5 inches (9 x 9 cm), unframed
Sold

Happy Holidays!

I just want to take a moment to wish everybody a very happy holiday, whichever one you celebrate (or even none at all!).

All the best wishes for a peaceful season,
Jeff

Available Fruit Studies

I have a small selection of Fruit Study paintings available right now, so I thought I'd post them. A handful more are waiting to be photographed and listed for sale. The price for each is $185 plus $12.50 shipping, and they are offered framed.



"Sweet Potato No. 1"
Oil on panel, 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm), framed
$185 + shipping
Available: Purchase Information




"Pear No. 6"
Oil on panel, 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm)
$185 + shipping
Available: Purchase Information



"Lemon No. 3"
Oil on panel, 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm)
$185 + shipping
Available: Purchase Information




"Green Apple No. 3"
Oil on panel, 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm)
Sold

Two new/old

While reorganizing my paintings shelf, I came across two pieces from last year that I apparently didn't offer for sale, for one reason or another. Rather than let them continue to collect dust, I'm glad to offer them now, and at a discount from my regular asking prices!
"Two Shotglasses No. 3"
Oil on panel, 3.5 x 3.5 inches (9 x 9 cm), unframed
Sold


"Teacup and Lemon No. 3"
Oil on panel, 5 x 6 inches (12 x 15 cm), unframed
Sold

Marbles

Somehow I've developed a real penchant for painting marbles. I'm not really sure why; they weren't a big part of my childhood; I actually remember just giving away my entire set of them to a friend on the playground when i was 7.

At any rate, as bright colorful objects, they totally captivate me now. This is a set if small paintings I'm working on. These are just under 2"x2". The one in the middle was completed today.

Making Tibetan Tormas

Ok, so this only marginally has anything to do with painting, but it was pretty cool, and I had great pictures, so I decided to share.

Needing to get out of the studio for a while today, I dropped in unannounced to visit my old friends at the local Tibetan Buddhist center.

Geshe Tenley (the resident monk), was making tormas - traditional Tibetan offering cakes for an upcoming ceremony. He invited me into the kitchen to watch.

First, a large batch of barley meal with a few other ingredients (including to my surprise, scotch - some form of alcohol is always mixed into these cakes) was mixed up and kneaded.





He then rolls and sculpts them by hand into slender conical forms, with a few decorative additions.





As my painterly hands were idle, I got put to work decorating them - the picture below is indeed me at work. The cakes are coated with a glaze consisting of melted ghee (clarified butter), and a lovely deep transparent red. I was told it was an unspecified earth color, but it seemed too transparent.

For some reason that I couldn't really get an answer for, all the brush strokes had to be lifting in an upward motion. The glaze settled into the cake in a very odd way, and also had to be reheated, as the butter cooled and solidified. Even after multiple washings, my hands still smell like movie-theater buttered popcorn.




Finally, they are decorated with white wax roundels and lozenges. These cakes are generally not consumed by humans. My understanding is that after the ceremony, they are set outside so birds and squirrels may eat them, presumably without the wax!




That is how Tibetan tormas are made. All in all, I'm delighted I felt the need to get out of the studio today.

Composition Class

I had been scheduled to take a 3-day composition class with Paul Ingbretson at the Guild of Boston Artists this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which unfortunately has just been rescheduled.

I hardly ever take classes of any type, for the simple fact that I generally don't learn well in that environment; my attention span is too short, and I function much better as a self-directed learner, or in private study situations with a teacher. However, I have a lot of respect for Paul as an artist, and the scope of the class is sufficiently interesting, so I decided to have a go at it (and it helped that my friend Stuart Dunkel was also signed up).

It was also somewhat interesting that the class would at least partially be conducted using pastel, which in fact I've never ever used. I don't want to appear narrow-minded, but I'm not a dry media artist at all; it simply does not speak to me. But I also believe it's important to try new things to grow and keep a fresh eye, and this seems like a really good opportunity to broaden that particular horizon. As it happens, I'd just returned from the art supply store where I'd bought pastels when I read the email about the cancellation. Now at least, I'll have a little time to familiarize myself with the medium prior to the class.

So... the word is that the class will be rescheduled for after the holidays. I'll try to write up some thoughts and reactions while it's in progress, or shortly thereafter.

In progress

Here's what's Currently on the easel. I'm painting a small series including marbles and stone eggs. And they are small; these are 2.5" x 3.5". These two are not yet finished, but they do make a cool scene, so I decided to share.

New finished paintings available for sale will be listed at the beginning of next week.

Quickest of Updates!

My friends have been cajoling me about my prolonged radio silence. They're right, of course, so I thought I'd just drop a very quick line here to let everybody know I'm ok, have been very busy, and have a whole stack of new paintings to show.

Of course, I have to actually photograph them first, but I will be getting around to that during the week. So... look for new work by the beginning of next week.

Till then...