Rembrandt, Whistler, Velvet, Vase

24" x 24"   Oil on Linen

From time to time, in music, one composer will expand on the work of another composer. Perhaps the most famous example is Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Written in 1874 as a piano suite in ten movements, it was orchestrated by Maurice Ravel in 1922. With that in mind I decided to expand on Whistler’s Nocturne in Blue and Silver: The Lagoon, Venice. Whistler’s Nocturne itself sets the tone and the mood, it provides the melody, rhythms, and harmony. I added a still life to orchestrate the piece. It’s not hard to hear the cellos playing the low, rich tones of the velvet. The black jacket of the book brings in the double basses and the percussion section. The violins and violas add warmth to the piece as they play the red and umber tones of the table. The white vase is expressed by the flutes and piccolos as the oboes splash a bit of light on the tabletop. The lettering on the book lets us know that Rembrandt is conducting the orchestra…

 Seventy-three

20" x 16"   Oil on Linen

I used myself as the model for this painting, but it was never intended to be a self-portrait, not in the conventional sense of capturing a likeness. It is a painting of a man who is curious about life, perhaps confused, perhaps angry, always searching. The man in this painting is alert and clear eyed, but the gently furrowed brow suggests there is something more going on behind those kind eyes. There may or may not be a slight smile under that playful mustache. The shirt collar is loose and free, allowing the man to be nimble in thought and action. The head is solidly painted, the brushwork quick and lively, he is listening to his own thoughts but could respond to you in an instant. He sits in a half light, there is a lightness of being in one half of the painting, and a rich depth of life experiences in the other. The light is the natural light from the window in my studio, it has sparkle and energy. The shadows are mysterious, there is energy there too. In fact, the entire painting is imbued with a quiet liveliness...