Did this drawing of a sunset in Molokai, Hawaii while on vacation the Summer 0f 2011.  Amazing place.  Only a few thousand people live on Molokai.  View was from the hotel patio.

I went down to my basement – saw an old stack of albums.  Was drawn to the garish pink and green of the Sex Pistols “Never Mind The Bollocks” album cover.  Thought it would make a great background for a still life.  I began assembling some of my favorite musicians’ covers – James Brown, Bob Marley, Morrissey, The White Stripes, U2, Elvis Costello – tried to find musicians I liked, but was more focused on finding compelling images.  Many of my paintings include images within images.  I like how the still life can appear as a simple still life or as something more fantastical with the objects taking on a life of their own.  Elvis Costello staring out from behind the camera on the “Last Year’s Model” cover pulled me in.  Had an almost Hannibal Lecter/Darth Vader quality – the camera he’s hiding behind almost feels like a mask.  Used this intense stare as the focal point.  Notice the shadow lines from an outside window lead your eye directly to Elvis.

The little blue monsters – I’m in love with them.  Found them at the Philly Art Museum gift shop.   They’re Russian Nesting Dolls.  Liked the shape and the faces – bought them knowing I would use them in a still life.  Like the repetitive, simple shape.  And, the blue is a nice counterbalance to the stark pinks and oranges. Why tangerines?  Why a pomegranate?  I don’t know – I followed an impulse.  Fruits are fun to paint.  And, I needed a strong pink counterbalance.

A happy coincidence led to the name “Nevermind.”  The Nirvana cover (bottom left) is also called “Nevermind.”  The word “Nevermind” appears three times in this painting – Nirvana cover, Sex Pistols cover, and the reflection on the Bob Marley cover.  I wish I could say this was planned – I always find the best surprises in the details.

Part of the “Parade” Series.  Captured the reference photo for this colored pencil drawing a few years ago at a parade in New York City.  Have had this one on the “to do” list for a while – finally got around to working on it.  Something compelling about a Native American carrying The Stars and Stripes – had to draw this one.  Great sunlight.  Great colors.  Great subject matter.  Have had a real positive reaction to this one – hope you enjoy.

Love Christmas.  Have fond memories of nutcrackers, cookies, Pez dispensers, any of the Rankin Bass specials, The Grinch, classic movies – love it all.  Wanted to play with reflecting light, so included some Christmas lights.  The two Christmas cards in the painting are photos of my children.  And, the Polaroid near the bottom of the painting is of me, my brother, and sister taken when we were little – I’m the one blowing up the balloon – I remember my parents taking that photo like it was yesterday.  Many of the items in this painting have strong personal meaning for me – painting this one sparked many fond memories.  My daughter came up with the name.

Love Christmas.  Have fond memories of nutcrackers, cookies, Pez dispensers, any of the Rankin Bass specials, The Grinch, classic movies – love it all.  Wanted to play with reflecting light, so included some Christmas lights.  The two Christmas cards in the painting are photos of my children.  And, the Polaroid near the bottom of the painting is of me, my brother, and sister taken when we were little – I’m the one blowing up the balloon – I remember my parents taking that photo like it was yesterday.  Many of the items in this painting have strong personal meaning for me – painting this one sparked many fond memories.  My daughter came up with the name.

This print is half the size of the original painting.

Completed this painting to complement “Jam” and “Crash.” When on a family vacation in California, went to this candy/50’s nostalgia store. Found a few toy cars with candy logos on them – liked the colors and decals – thought they would be fun to paint. Wanted to pull in a little closer on the cars. And, wanted an abstract composition. My favorite – love the icecream truck.

Painted this from a reference photo taken along one of the main roads in Lancaster County. Passed an Amish buggy or bicycles every few hundred yards. Find it interesting – the Amish shun most modern conveniences and lead vice-free lives, yet grow beautiful fields of tobacco.

Was at a local produce market. Had a bin of Fairy Tale Pumpkins (yep, that’s the name). Liked the washed out, almost salmon color and deep segmentation of these pumpkins. My pallet is usually pretty bright – liked the neutral, dulled pallet required for this painting. My daughter, Em, named this one.

Love New York City. Was driving through Chinatown when I captured a few reference shots used to paint this picture. I’m usually attracted to light. In this case, what struck me was the shadow. Liked the cool, subtle detail on the neon signs and the grid-like angularity of the scene. Liked how the woman in the foreground hides the little girl from the bright sunlight. Particularly enjoyed painting the helix-like pattern of the fire escape shadows in the extreme background – must have had work on my mind, because it reminded me of a DNA strand. My wife told me this work was “different for me.” Once it was finished, placed it on our fireplace mantel next to “Eiffel Tower Carousel.” Told Stacey it wasn’t much different after all – can see a similar theme and composition (strong off center foreground figure facing the viewer; washed out background detail) in both pieces.

Got the inspiration for this painting on our family’s annual apple-picking trip. Saw this pile of pumpkins, and was struck by colors in the shadows. One of the farmers managing the stand gave me a weird look while I snapped the reference photo for this painting. Didn’t matter – was captivated by the composition and colors. Even though the pumpkins are white and orange, I used every color on my palette to create this work.