The Van Otterloo Collection

Gerrit Dou
"Sleeping Dog", 1650
Oil on panel, 6.5 x 8.5 inches
The Rose-Marie and Eijk Van Otterloo Collection


Today I went to see the Van Otterloo Collection exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum (Salem, MA).

I am very nearly dumbstruck.

Although there have been rave reviews about this show, I was really not prepared for what I saw; it's the finest grouping of paintings from this period under one roof I've ever seen. It may even be the finest grouping of paintings I've ever seen, period, but then I'm particularly biased to the art of this time and place.

It's not a particularly large collection (about 70 pieces), but it spans nearly every facet of Dutch Golden Age painting; portraiture, landscape, nautical scenes, genre paintings, church interiors, still lifes, florals, histories, etc. Not only is the selection broad, but many of the paintings are absolute examplars of their types... even the Rembrandt portrait. I don't normally pay a whole lot of attention to his pieces (I tend to think he's an over-rated artist), but I have to admit I found his piece in the exhibit to be extremely moving.

For me the real superstar pieces in the show were the 2 works by Gerrit Dou; his self-portrait, and the fascinating still life (well... sort of) pictured above. I've admired Dou for a long time, but seeing these 2 pieces in person bumped him way up into my Favorite Painters list. Wow...

Also, the framing of these pieces was wonderful; most of them housed in wide, dramatic, black frames; it was an absolutely thrilling effect. I wish photography was allowed in the gallery, because the almost none of the images in the exhibition book show the frames, which in this case become an integral part of the works.

So, many thanks to the Van Otterloos for making this amazing, unbelievable collection available to the public. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have seen these pieces. Basically, anybody who has the slightest interest in painting, and lives within driving distance of Salem, really needs to go see this exhibit between now and June 19th.

I, of course, will be going back.

Red Apple No. 3

(click image for larger views)

"Red Apple No. 3"
Oil on panel, 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm), framed
$185 + shipping

This painting is a member of a now long-running series of fruit and vegetable studies. There's something fantastically rich, elemental, and comforting about well-painted food; it's one of my favorite subjects to work with.

Marbles No. 8

(click image for larger view)

"Marbles No. 8"
Oil on panel, 1.75 x 1.75 inches (5 x 5 cm)
Dimensions with frame: 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15 cm)

Forum No. 1

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"Forum No. 1"
Oil on panel, 2 x 5 inches (5 x 12 cm), framed
Outer dimensions with frame: 8 x 11 inches (20 x 28 cm)
$225 + shipping

I love painting marbles in general, and groupings of them provide almost everything that make a good painting; color, texture, light, reflection. I couldn't resist taking it a step further, and indulging in the playfulness of imagining them as gathering in a civic forum to discuss the weighty issues of the day.

This painting is available for purchase directly from my studio; click the button below for more information.

Fragment: Glass and Red Bowl No. 2

(click image for larger view)

"Fragment: Glass and Red Bowl No. 2"
Oil on panel, 2.5 x 3.5 inches (6 x 9 cm), unframed

Marbles No. 7

(click image for larger view)

"Marbles No. 7"
Oil on panel, 1.75 x 1.75 inches (5 x 5 cm)
Dimensions with frame: 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15 cm)

Metal and Wood No. 1

(click image for larger view)

"Metal and Wood No. 1"
Oil on cradled panel, 17 x 24 inches (43 x 61 cm)


Although I have shown this painting previously, I haven't dedicated a posting to it, and it clearly deserves its own post.

This is "Metal and Wood No. 1", my latest large painting. For some time now, I've been interested in fantastic possibilities that antique hand tools offer for still life painting. In a way, they have everything an artist could want: color, texture, amazing forms, and understated sense of story. For this piece, I wanted to combine as many tools as I could into one composition, and present them in an almost architectural way.

Although at first glance it might seem like a jumble of forms, in fact spent a full day getting the arrangement exactly right - the progression of angles in the small horizontal screwdriver, the drill handle, and the large upright screwdriver is no accident.

As with many of my other larger pieces, here the background is in fact a vital and integral part of the composition - in no way a "secondary" area of interest. I paid every bit as much attention to the wood grain on the shelf as I did the metal of the plane.

This painting is currently displayed at Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta, GA. For purchase information, please contact the gallery here. To see larger views of the painting, please visit my website here.

By the way, just in case anybody was wondering, this is the painting that ended up on the front side of the cradled panel whose construction I described in a recent post.

Red Onion No. 3

(click image for larger views)

"Red Onion No. 3"
Oil on panel, 4 x 4 inches (10 x 10 cm), framed
Outer dimensions with frame: 9 x 9 inches (23 x 23 cm)
$185 + shipping

This painting is a member of a now long-running series of fruit and vegetable studies. There's something fantastically rich, elemental, and comforting about well-painted food; it's one of my favorite subjects to work with.

April Newsletter

I will be sending out this month's version of my email newsletter on Monday. If you'd like to receive a copy, please sign up using the box at the upper right, or you can also register here.

By the way, I will never share your information with anybody, ever.

Marbles No. 6

(click image for larger view)

"Marbles No. 6"
Oil on panel, 1.75 x 1.75 inches (5 x 5 cm)
Dimensions with frame: 6 x 6 inches (15 x 15 cm)

Show Update, Part 2

(image courtesy of Neil Hollingsworth)

As I alluded to in yesterday's post, I actually participated in 2 events this weekend. The other was a work I had in the Realism exhibit at the Mason Murer gallery in Atlanta. Unfortunately, because of the conflict, I was not able to be there, but I have heard reports that it was a great opening. And... it's always great to see one's work up on a gleaming white wall, even if just in a photo!

The piece I have in the show is one of my latest, "Metal and Wood No. 1", which is a study of the varied shapes, textures, and patterns of wear found on antique hand tools (see below). If you happen to be in the Atlanta area, please stop by the gallery to have a look.

Jeffrey Hayes
"Metal and Wood No. 1"
Oil on panel, 17 x 24 inches (43 x 60 cm)

Show Update, Part 1

Jeffrey Hayes
"Suspended Teacup"
Oil on panel, 5 x 3.5 inches (13 x 9 cm)

Sold

Jeffrey Hayes
"Suspended Creamer"
Oil on panel, 5 x 3.5 inches (13 x 9 cm)

Sold

Over the weekend I participated in show in Melrose, MA. It was a all-around good time; I met a lot of friendly people, both fellow exhibitors as well as people from the community in attendance. Best of all, I sold 7 paintings, including 3 that I'm very fond of. The above 2 paintings have been some of my favorites; I just love the playfulness of enclosing paintings in gilded Moorish arches. I have, however, had concerns about whether paintings like this would actually be salable, or simply for my own amusement. They got a lot of positive feedback, though, and I took the fact that each of them sold to different collectors as a clear sign to go ahead and do more of them. I'm thrilled by that.

Another piece that I also like a great deal that sold was my painting "Entwined" (see below). I wrote an in-progress post while I was working on it, which you can read here.

Jeffrey Hayes
"Entwined"
Oil on panel, 7.75 x 10 inches (25 x 20 cm)

Sold

Tomorrow I'll write a little bit about the other weekend show I was involved with.

Melrose Arts Festival

Jeffrey Hayes
"Tea and Oranges"
Oil on panel, 15 x 24 inches (38 x 60 cm)

This weekend I'm participating in the 2011 Melrose Arts Festival, and will be displaying a number of pieces including the above painting. If you're in the area, please stop by and visit. Festival information is here.

Mason Murer Show

Jeffrey Hayes
"Metal and Wood No. 1"
Oil on panel, 17 x 24 inches (43 x 60 cm)

I am very proud to be participating in the Realism Show at Mason Murer Fine Arts in Atlanta. The show opens this evening and runs through May 20th. If you're in the area, please do visit the gallery and see the above work, as well as many other wonderful pieces by some of the finest contemporary realist painters working today.

By the way, my work was initially shown to the gallery director by my friend Neil Hollingsworth, who will also have work in the show. Rather than gushing about Neil's work, I'll just point you to an interview I conducted with him about several years ago. Karen Hollingsworth (Neil's wife), is participating in the show as well. My interview with her is here.