Storytime - recap of the show at Gallery 705

Back from the Poconos. Gallery 705 is a terrific space in which to exhibit and Ed Evans installed the work on the various walls wonderfully well. It was pretty hot up in the mountains as well as everywhere else which might account for the small reception turnout, but those who did brave the heat and come by were an interesting assortment of people.

One woman has traveled the world and had tales to tell. Another woman described herself as an "art groupie" and was friends with such artists as Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Phillip Guston and others. Visitors shared their memories of New York with me, and as that is my subject matter I loved hearing their recollections. The most interesting question I was asked was by a young man who shyly came forward and asked if my paintings were always so "optimistic." I had to stop and think about that one for a minute and had to agree that they did exude a feeling of optimism. Perhaps it is because of my use of color? My subject matter? The composition? Or perhaps it was just the overall feel of the paintings. One woman said they just made her happy. I liked that young man's observation very much.



When viewing one of the restaurant paintings, one woman asked "but did I paint Pete's Tavern?" Well I surely did and brought her over to see the painting which brought back a lot of memories for her.



Thanks again to Connie and Ed Evans for hosting the reception and exhibiting my work in their gallery. A blurb and photo appeared in the Weekend section of the Pocono Record. Here's the link.

"New York Reflections" opens July 23rd

Heading to the mountains

"Gramercy Park Snow"
Oil on canvas
10 x 8 inches

Today is a steamy summer day and my paintings are being picked up and heading for Gallery 705 in the Poconos later this afternoon. This painting of a Gramercy Park townhouse stoop on 20th Street in the snow might be an image to help cool things down. I've chosen a variety of work for this show - reflection paintings, LIC paintings, Gramercy Park paintings and assorted others. It's nice to have the opportunity to "curate" this exhibit.



"A Guy, A Beer, A Juke"
Oil on canvas
12 x 9 inches

I thought it would be interesting to include some older paintings and this one, in particular, brings back a whiff of old New York. This gent was sitting in a bar on Mulberry Street, sipping a beer and listening to the songs on the jukebox in this pressed-tin hangout in what is left of Little Italy. An image reminiscent of an older time, although I know that there still exist many of these types of neighborhood hangouts all around town. You just have to keep your eyes open.

If you find yourself in the Poconos, stop in to meet Ed and Connie Evans and see the show. The reception is Saturday, July 23rd from 4-7 pm and I will be there along with some family and friends. Hopefully things will be a bit cooler in the mountains than they are in the city.

For information on Gallery 705, here is a link.

A Summer Solo Show

Art in the mountains of Pennsylvania

"Puck Building" study
Oil on canvas
10 x 8 inches

Last summer some of my paintings left steamy NYC for the lovely island of Martha's Vineyard for an exhibition. This summer 30 of my small to mid-sized paintings will be heading to the Pocono mountains in Pennsylvania. I've been invited to exibit at Gallery 705, an intimate and inviting gallery in Stroudsburg. When choosing the work for the show I decided the space lent itself well to my smaller-scaled paintings so I selected a nice range of work from recent pieces to several older ones. This study of the Puck Building on the corner of Lafayette and Houston Streets is in the show of streetscapes, architectural details and reflection paintings.


"Madison Reflections II"
Oil on canvas
12 x 9 inches

For more information about the gallery, here is a link

I plan to spend the summer trying to keep my cool and to keep on painting.