Painting is a metaphysical act for me and always akin to poetry rather than prose. Ever since I was a young boy studying poetry, I was so much more interested in examining the writer’s thoughts over the words that were written on the page. Whether looking at a Rembrandt, a Sue Miller, or a Jake Berthot, I am always held captive by the “energy” of the artist rather than by any narration. A couple of years ago I gifted a painting to a sibling and sent the following note which, in my view, was a fairly decent description of the work.

 

MY PAINTING

 

Hi Cindy, since you asked, here are some of the thoughts, reasons, motivations that I can share with you concerning my making art. I hope they’ll be helpful for you in order to see the painting which hopefully you’ll receive today.

 

I LOVE paint, marks, the aura of a person’s breath, the metaphysical. Think of standing in front of a Rembrandt and “feeling” his being from 400 years ago. My primary goal is to capture my life experiences that have formed me up to the point of a painting’s completion so of course you are some part of any work I make.

 

You asked what my thoughts were when I made your painting in 2013. My recollection, probably tainted by my 67-year old brain, the following highlights. 

  • Judy had passed

  • Bryce had passed

  • I had a cardio stent inserted

  • The idea of mortality became much less of an abstract idea

  • Richard and I still lived in the South End (which I loved everyday)

  • I had recently switched back from acrylic to oil after five years

  • Making repros of 19th century doors for our home

  • Made stained glass inspired by medieval stained and narrative windows

  • Was looking at artists Jake Berthot, Brian Rutenberg, Gandy Brody

  • Your visit to me

  • ACME Gallery was a venue for 1950’s regional painters

  • Gardening in the South End

  • I had my terrific woodworking shop

  • Good visits to museums and galleries around the country

  • I discovered I loved Sunday afternoons on the Bench outside The Buttery with a good cup of coffee (very meditative, great introspection)

  • Two seminal books read that year were “The Swerve,” Stephen Greenblat and “Discourse on Method and Meditations,” Rene Descartes.

 

I’m sure this is much more information than you hoped for but I got carried away. Hope you enjoy the painting.