Mason Murer, November 9th Opening

Stacked

26" x 9.75"

oil on panel

Tic Tac Chalk

12" x 9"

oil on panel

Zap!

16" x 20"

oil on panel

Stacked

Stacked

26" x 9.75"

oil on panel

sold

I grew up with a family of gardeners. Tomatoes were and still are a big deal. Starting the seeds, warming the ground so you can get them out early. Tying them up, caging them, or staking them. 

When I was old enough to not be squeamish, my Dad would pay me to pull caterpillars off the plants, called hornworms. They cause a lot of damage to tomato plants. They were big and green,  with a scary curved horn on their back end.  I would get them to crawl on a stick, then I would put them in a coffee can to give him.

I first learned about heirloom tomatoes when my Mom brought home some Brandywine tomato plants. I thought it was a big deal because it was all about Beefsteak tomatoes growing up. I still remember the first time I saw one sliced, how it's cross section looked different than the tomatoes I was used too. The seed patterns were different, the colors were different. They were not perfectly shaped, and that was ok, it was expected.

 Stacked

detail

Now it seems you can find heirloom tomatoes more readily. I am grateful to live in an area that grows many many varieties with farmers markets in every little community and farm stands a plenty. When it is tomato season, it's like fireworks with all their shapes, sizes, and colors. Names like Black Krim, Vintage Wine, Amana Orange, Heart of Compassion, Green Zebra, Black Zebra, Chocolate Stripes, and Abe Lincoln. To learn more about the hundreds of varieties now available to growers check out Gary Ibson's TomatoFest website to learn all about the heirloom varieties. TomatoFest

 Stacked

detail

Stacked

will be showing at

Mason Murer Fine Art

November 2 - December 31, 2012

Reception

November 9, 2012

Atlanta, GA

404-879-150

Zap!

Zap!

16" x 20"

oil on panel

sold

This painting shows a 1950's Space Jet toy friction gun 

from KO Japan.

Rayguns, blasters, some that spark, some that are water pistols. 

I love them. 

I love their graphics, I love their shapes, I love their colors.

I love how my imagination sends me out to space, 

wondering about rocket ships,

invaders, martians, new planets to land on and discover. 

photo from i09

 This photo shows some great examples of other toy ray guns. 

There is a whole world of them, many to explore and learn about. Here is a link to i09, 

where they talk about the secret origin of the ray gun 

in science fiction.

Secret Origin of the Ray Gun: i09.com

Another wonderful site to learn more about toy ray guns is 

Justin Pinchot's Toy Ray Gun.

detail

Zap!

oil on panel

Zap! 

will be showing at

Mason Murer Fine Art

November 2 - December 31, 2012

Reception

November 9, 2012

7:00pm - 10:00pm

Atlanta, GA

Mason Murer Fine Art

The Still Life, Opening Reception

The Still Life also features:

Elizabeth Barlow, Leigh-Anne Eagerton, Thane Gorek,

Michael E. Hockenbury, Sangita Phadke, Alvin Richard,

Christopher Stott, Joanne Tepper, Kari Tirrell,

and Katherine Lemke Waste.

Link to the show:

The Still Life

Elliott Fouts Gallery

Opening reception, Saturday, October 13th, 2012

Elliott Fouts Gallery

At their new location: 1831 P. Street

Sacramento, CA

916-736-1429

Losing Your Marbles

Losing Your Marbles

12" x 24"

oil on panel

sold

Most of us have heard the expression, 

"You have lost your marbles." 

Maybe we heard a relative say it after 

getting frustrated about something, 

throwing their arms in the air, exclaiming 

"ak! I have lost my marbles!"

When your a kid, hearing this sounds, well, strange. 

It is what is called an idiom. That’s a phrase whose meaning

 doesn’t match up with the meaning of 

the actual words used in the phrase.

They haven't really lost their actual marbles, 

they just feel like they are going a little crazy

or losing your mind.

photo from John B. Southard Jr.

Here is what the blog Wonderopolis 

has to say about the subject:

Experts believe losing one’s marbles originated in the United States in the late 1800s. Marbles — those little glass or metal balls children use to play a variety of games — were popular toys long ago. The word “marbles,” though, was also used to refer to one’s personal belongings or “stuff.”
Some people believe “marbles” eventually came to be associated with one’s mind or wits or common sense, too. Since marbles were important playthings and one’s personal belongings or “stuff” would also be very important, one can see how one’s mind or wits or common sense could be associated with these other important things.
One can imagine a young child playing with his favorite marbles around the turn of the 20th century. Marbles could be carried easily in pockets, so he could take the game with him wherever he went. If he were to lose one or more of these prized possessions, he would certainly feel a sense of loss and likely a sense of anger or despair. He might even appear crazy as he searched frantically for the missing marbles.

 photo from Welcome To My Backyard

Since  the late 1800's the phrase has appeared in literature.

In the 1954 film The Caine Mutiny Humphrey Bogart linked insanity with marbles when he showed his character, the demented Lt. Cmdr. Queeg, restlessly jiggling a set of metal balls when under stress in court.

photo from TvTropes

 

For me many times I have been joked with, 

asked if I have lost my marbles again. 

Or would be told someone found one of my marbles.

I certainly do love my marbles, both my glass ones

and the ones in my mind.

Here is a video of me losing some of my marbles this morning.

detail  Losing Your Marbles

Losing Your Marbles 

 will be showing at

Elliott Fouts Gallery

October Still Life Show

October 6, 2012 to November 1, 2012

Sacramento, CA

 

Violets No. 1

Violets No.1

16" x 12"

oil on panel
sold

Growing up I loved Spring. Spring meant daffodils and violets. 

But not just a few violets, hundreds and hundreds of them grew

all over my families farm. I was always able to pick them

to my hearts content. I would bring them in the house and

 arrange them in my Mom's small glass jars and vases.

She would put them in her kitchen window sills

and decorate the bathrooms with them.

This painting reminds me of those moments.

My sweet little one picking from the same violet

patches that I did at her age.

Detail 

Violets No. 1

Violets No. 1 will be showing at

Elliott Fouts Gallery

October Still Life Show

October 6, 2012 to November 1, 2012

Sacramento, CA

(916)736-1429

Hurdles

Sometimes when I set out to plan a painting,

I keep myself open to exploring different possibilities.

On this day I sat in my studio with two tin horses,

and went from there.

 

These two horse and riders are

Cracker Jack premiums from the 1930's to 1940's.

I had an idea of them appearing to be going on a ride together.

 

Then I remembered I had a third horse and rider.

The larger horse is from a

1950's Chein tin merry-g-round wind up toy.

Suddenly the quiet two character image involved a third character,

but I needed something else.

What were they going to be doing, how was I feeling,

what did I want to show.

 

Jumping a wooden spool! That was it.

I ride and love the feeling of going through a field

and jumping a log if it is in your way. There is a freedom you feel.

Also I felt the symbolism of us all having hurdles to cross.

 

Setting up my compositions can sometimes be tricky.

Here I am using a microphone stand to tie a string from it

to the larger horse to help keep it propped up.

 

The final painting:

Hurdles

16" x 20"

oil on panel 

 

Hurdles will be showing at

Elliott Fouts Gallery

October Still Life Show

October 6, 2012 to November 1, 2012

Sacramento, CA

(916)736-1429