Monday, October 22, 2012

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

Sunday, October 21, 2012

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. 

 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.

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

Friday, October 12, 2012

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

Opening reception, Saturday, October 13th, 2012
Elliott Fouts Gallery
At their new location: 1831 P. Street
Sacramento, CA
916-736-1429