"Those Summer Nights"

 

 

6 x 8"

oil on panel

sold

As I finished this new painting, I realized outside the cold wind was blowing and snow flurries were falling on Christmas Eve in Atlanta.  Truly unexpected. And pretty darn cozy.  John Singer Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose - a most perfect painting in my opinion, depicts a warm, summer night - completely opposite of the evening outside my window.  

In 1884, Sargent had just experienced a scandal in Paris, resulting from the exhibition of his famous portrait Madame X.  It damaged his reputation all because the critics freaked out over the dress strap of Amelie Gautreau had fallen off her bare shoulder.  That was it. The prudes disapproved.

Seeking restoration, Sargent moved to England and spent summers in an artist's colony, where he completed Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose.  He was staying at the home of his artist friend Francis Millet and the two girls he used as his models were the daughters of another artist Frederick Barnard.  His inspiration came from a boating trip where he saw Chinese lanterns hanging in the trees, combining that element with the girls.  

The painting was a hit at an 1887, and Sargent was once again the talk of the art world with his reputation restored.  It belongs to the collection of the Tate Museum in London, England.

 

~ Wishing you and yours a peaceful and beautiful Christmas holiday.

"Sitting Idly By"

6 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

I've shied away from painting artists set up in the museum, painting a chosen work of art.  I don't know why.  This gentleman's choice was a great one, a portrait by John Singer Sargent, Ellen Peabody Endicott (Mrs. William Crowninshield Endicott) - a daunting challenge for any artist studying Sargent's paintings.  

Ellen Peabody was born into a wealthy, Salem, Massachusetts shipping family - grew into a socialite in Boston, married William Crowninshield Endicott who served on the Massachusetts Supreme Court and became President Grover Cleveland's secretary of war.  Although it's not confirmed, at the time of the sitting, Ellen was possibly in mourning after her husband's recent death, explaining her black dress and somber expression. 

Sargent's portrait hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

"Drama Queen"

8 x 24"

oil on panel
sold

Of all the paintings by John Singer Sargent, this one, which I got to see in person, blew me away like no other - depicting the famous Shakespearean actress Dame Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth. 

Sargent attended the production of Macbeth at the London Lyceum and immediately wanted to paint the actress and convinced her to sit for him.  His pose of Terry holding a crown on her head, after the murder of Duncan, the Scottish king, didn't happen in the play, but he wanted a dramatic pose, concentrating on her intense gaze and that spectacular costume of green and blue embroidered silk.

Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth hangs in the Tate Britian.

My new painting will be included in the upcoming solo show Sargentology  opening March 2nd at the Robert Lange Studios.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Homebody"

9 x 12"

oil on panel
sold

I'm still working on paintings for my show Sargentology, but it's high time I posted those that I've completed, starting with the newest one.

Featured in this setting are three gentlemen - the viewer taking a rest on the gallery bench, Dr. Samuel Jean Pozzi on the left and the artist, John Singer Sargent to the right.

Sargent painted Dr. Pozzi at Home in 1881.  Dr. Pozzi was a good friend of Sargent's, he was a Parisian gynecologist and renowned dandy - described by a contemporary as 'himself a kind of beautiful work of art'.  Sargent painted his friend relaxed at home, wearing a plush, red robe with a puffy shirt underneath, with a peek of an embroidered slipper.  Notably, Pozzi's hands are a focus, elegant, one grasping the collar, the other pulling on the tie around his hip.  The attention to his hands suggests a reminder of Pozzi's method of examination in his profession as a gynecologist.  Dr. Pozzi at Home belongs to the Hammer Museum in LA.

Sargent painted his self-portrait in 1906 and belongs to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Please click here for a larger view.

All of my paintings for the show, opening March 2nd at Robert Lange Studios, can be seen here.

"Floored"

6 x 6"

oil on panel
sold

From the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, a young woman sketches on the floor in front of John Singer Sargent's 'The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit'.

"Double Date"

sold

I don't usually show you my paintings framed but I thought this was so gorgeous, I'd show it before I shipped it off to The Red Piano Art Gallery.  Should be hanging on their wall just in time for Valentine's Day this Saturday.

This piece 'Double Date' and 'Formal Wear' - allow me to refresh your memory....

sold

will be included in the Hilton Head Art Auction taking place February 27th at The Red Piano Art Gallery.

You can find the details and contact information on my webpages for each painting - here for 'Double Date' - and here for 'Formal Wear'.

"Sargent"

6 x 8"

oil on panel

sold

I'm not sure there is a more perfect painting other than 'Madame X' by the American artist, John Singer Sargent.  His painting debuted in 1884 in Paris - critics freaked out and deemed it scandalous and immoral - too 'erotic' for their delicate (prudish) eyes it seems.  Even the family of Virginie Gautreau (Madame X) was outraged, particularly because one of the dress straps was originally slipped off her shoulder.  Sargent appeased the family by repainting the strap and kept the painting for 3 years - meanwhile moving to London and becoming one of the most sought-after portrait painters of the times.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City purchase 'Madame X' in 1916.

I am quoting a portion of the Khan Academy's summary about 'Madame X', because I think it's so very well said -  'The painting - which debuted to severe disparagement but is today treasured as a masterpiece beloved in the history of Western art - is but one example of an artwork that gradually evolved from epitomizing the condemned to the celebrated.  Much of a work's initial reception is based upon society's tastes, standards of etiquette, and values of the era, and as these attitudes shift over the decades, the public may begin to look at older paintings with new eyes.'

There isn't a single painting that Sargent created that doesn't bring me to my knees - so it was an easy choice for the letter R in my series ArtistZ.

                         FYI - 

 

"The Shorter Version"

6 x 8"

oil on panel
sold

I wanted to do a larger version of this scene, so I thought I'd get a better idea of colors and composition with a smaller study first - then I got a bit carried away.  That's what happens with painting a Sargent, it's mesmerizing.

From the Art Institute of Chicago, a woman stands before John Singer Sargent's 'Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth)', one of my personal favorite paintings in the museum.

"How Bourgeois"

9 x 10"

oil on panel
sold

I painted this new piece during our snowstorm this past week - what a treat it was.  I know some of you are moaning and can't imagine snow being a treat at this point, but it's so rare here in the south.

I love this painting because of my favorite combo of colors - golds, blacks, greys and browns.  And I love the shadows.

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, William Merritt Chase's portrait of the artists 'James Abbott McNeill Whistler' (left) and John Singer Sargent's portrait of the artist 'William M. Chase' (right) are seemingly looking down at the couple before them.

Please click here for a larger view.

"The Little Black Dress"

8 x 10"

oil on panel
sold
 

This new painting will be included in the upcoming Small Works Show at the Anne Irwin Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta - opening November 22nd.  This young woman is connecting with John Singer Sargent's 'Lady with a Rose (Charlotte Louise Burckhardt)' which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. 

I am very proud to be featured in the full-page ad in the Atlanta magazine Simply Buckhead, promoting the show.  Please come to the opening if you can, there's over 200 pieces showcased. 

Please click here for a larger view.

"Curly Girls"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

A new painting - a young lady eying the shoes on 'Helen Sears', painted by John Singer Sargent, which hangs in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Romanticizing"

12 x 9"

oil on masonite
sold

For the Annual Invitational Small Works Show at the Howard/Mandville Gallery, I chose to paint my favorite subject including two of my favorite paintings in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. To the left is 'Arab Chief' painted by Mariano Fortuny y Carbo - a striking portrait that just floors me and in front of the young couple is the very romantic 'In the Luxembourg Gardens' by John Singer Sargent.

Please click here for a larger view.

"A Date With Art"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

This is one of those paintings I've wanted to do for a long time but didn't think I could pull off that carved seating without getting too tight in my brush strokes. Painting is for the patient, that's for sure. In these museum settings, sometimes it's all about the artwork or the figure and sometimes it's about the space. I think this is a little bit of all three.

From the sculpture gallery in the American Art wing, in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Please click here for a larger view.


Just a few thoughts to share on this last day of the year ~ I'm one of those people that plans out at least six months ahead. Not so rigid it can't be changed, but I often think in terms of what I am ready for, what needs to be different, what I need to shed. A year ago, I was wanting to try to teach a workshop or two ~ and did ~ but I realize it's something I've got to take more time to plan and get it right, before I officially go down that road. Perhaps in the second half of the new year. A year ago, I was sure I wouldn't commit to any solo shows ~ and I didn't ~ I joined in on group shows and a dual show, which was just right. It allowed me to explore different subject matters and grow a little more in terms of skill, with less pressure on my time.

Speaking of a date with art, I've got a couple of solid plans to tell you about ~

~ I will be presenting a solo show, taking place at the Morris & Whiteside Gallery in Hilton Head Island, opening March 13th. I'm concentrating on scenes from two southern cities, Washington DC and Charleston, South Carolina - including museum patrons, cityscapes, night scenes, interiors and beachscapes. If you want ... need a nice break from winter, please make plans to come to the opening ~ it's a lovely setting and it would be my pleasure to meet you.

~ I will be in a dual show, taking place at the Howard/Mandville Gallery in Kirkland, Washington, opening May 9th, with Fred Calleri. Talk about a lovely setting, you can't beat Seattle/Kirkland that time of year. Please pencil me in for the opening night, I'd be happy to meet you.

~ I will be participating in the various group shows at the 16 Patton Gallery, in Asheville, North Carolina, like this past year - I absolutely loved the different themes and hope to continue that in the new year. You can always get information on those shows on their website or on mine. That little city is a pleasure to visit any time of the year.

One change to note is that I have left the Cohen-Rese Gallery in San Francisco and the Twinhouse Gallery in Atlanta. Cohen-Rese, after years of a good relationship, chose not to pay me for a painting sold after I announced to them I was leaving the gallery. That's what some art gallery owners do to artists. I hope people take a cue from that experience.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year and thank you for your continued interest in my work, and all your comments and emails. That, above all, drives me every day.

"X"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

I think I needed to see warm, autumn colors - I'm sooooo ready for fall. John Singer Sargent's painting 'Madame X' was my top choice, one of my personal favorites, a work of art that takes my breath away. This portrait of Virginia Amelie Avegno Gautreau hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, a must-see. Sargent had to endure the scandalous response to this painting, even from the sitter's mother, who insisted the portrait not be exhibited in the Paris Salon. He did alter the shoulder straps, lessening the amount of flesh to please the masses.

In the flesh (pardon the pun), the skin is masterful, as Sargent accentuates the lavender-powdered, pale tones against the black and rich, warm surroundings. Perfection.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Little People"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

A little museum patron in her summer dress standing beside John Singer Sargent's 'Portrait of Edouard & Marie-Louise Pailleron'. I absolutely love including a Sargent painting in my work. They're are great fun to reproduce, with flesh-gray skin tones and strong compositions.

This painting is also included in the Summer Collection at the Morris & Whiteside Gallery. Please click here for a larger view.

"White Satin"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

Sargent's portrait of Elizabeth Ebsworth was done in 1897, and I'm certain she would not be caught dead in an art museum wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Such casual dress was unheard of in public places, and I'm reminded that I'm very happy to live in a time when it's perfectly acceptable. The Sargent painting hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Click here for a larger view.

"Nonchalance"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

There is something so gratifying about painting Sargent's works - I truly learn from it - as I do from all my little reproductions. It's how the great artists learned, aside from a teacher's instructions, they copied the masters. Things click. It's a large part of how I have taught myself how to paint with oils.

This woman is leaning closer to John Singer Sargent's "Nonchaloir (Repose)", one of my most-favorite paintings, which hangs in the National Gallery of Art, in Washington, DC.

Please click here for a larger view.

"In the Company of Women"

9 x 12"

oil on masonite

sold

And here's one more new pieces to add to the show - and I included one of my favorite paintings, John Singer Sargent's "Mrs. Fiske Warren and Her Daughter Rachel".

This new painting will be included in my July show at 16 Patton, in Asheville.

Please click here for a larger view.