Kalf’s Lost Lemon Willem Kalf: detail from “Still Life with Lobster, Drinking Horn and Glasses” Oil on canvas, 34 x 40 inches, 1653For a moment, it was heart-breaking. I could tell that the ghostly lemon had once been a wonder – perfectly shaped, no doubt with vibrant color and exquisite detail. Yet, it […]
Self-Portraits In Still Life “Plum, Silver Creamer, Red Napkin” Oil on panel, 5×5 inches, 2021 (Prints are available)I’m not a portrait painter, and I never will be. I’ve done a few, and they were all disappointments. There’s just something about the process of painting people that doesn’t connect with me – it felt […]
My Favorite Painting Willem Kalf: “Still Life with Lobster, Drinking Horn and Glasses” Oil on canvas, 34 x 40 inches, 1653I recently had dinner with a friend and we got to talking about still life painting in general and what I find so fascinating about it. He also asked if I had a […]
Johannes Vermeer, “Young Woman with a Water Pitcher”Oil on canvas, 18×16 inches, painted circa 1662-1665 A teacher once told me that the way to study was to pick one artist – just one – whose work you love and feel a special affinity with. Then, for a period of at least a few months, immerse yourself […]
I came across this surprising painting tag last week and thought I’d share the story with you. A friend of mine was having an opening at the St. Botolph Club, which is an old social club in Boston with a focus on the arts, housed in a grand nineteenth-century brownstone mansion in the Back Bay. […]