Imitation is the Greatest Compliment




There is no shortage of artists whose styles I wish I could emulate. Great works by some of the most well-known painters -- Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh -- stimulate my mind and are jaw-dropping-ly beautiful.
However, the works by two lesser-known artists 'speak' to me and leave me longing to be in the subject of their painting. The first is Edward Hopper, who is best known for his painting, "Nighthawks," and is one of my favorite painters for his works that emphasize architecture and sunlight, as evidenced by his pieces that include beach houses at Cape Cod.
The second is Jean Jack, who lived in New Mexico and later moved to Maine, and continues to do large paintings of farm houses, barns and utilitarian out-buildings. Like Hopper, Jack uses few subjects in her paintings, though the cast of characters are likely to include an enormous sky, land, a building or buildings and the sunlight. Her colors are often bright and flat.
People who see paintings by Hopper and Jack often describe them as lonely, secluded and even stark. I see them, particularly Jack's landscapes, as tranquil and comforting -- as if that giant blue sky is blanketing the farmhouse or barn.
I am now doing a large painting that is heavily influenced by Edward Hopper and, particularly, Jean Jack. The painting above is one called "Riverfarm," by Jack. When I have finished mine, I'll post that one and we can compare.

Update: I have now added my own landscape painting. It's the one on top. It's 4 ft. wide and 2 ft. tall. It's called 'Farmhouse.'

One bite, and all your dreams will come true


Up to this point I have only painted green and yellow/green apples. I'm a big fan of Granny Smith apples, so I tended to want to paint them. However, as I was packing lunch for my kids, I took a long, close look at the Gala apple I was putting in my son's bag.
Unlike the green Granny Smith apples, which are dominated by green and slight variations of yellow, the Gala had reds, oranges, pinks, yellows and flecks of green. I couldn't detect any kind of pattern to why some parts of the apple are yellow and other parts are deep orange or red. I picked one I thought was nicely shaped and warmly colored.
This is the result.

This painting has sold.