March 12 Raining on My Roma

It's not just raining on my roma. It's raining on everything; day after day.

Today was a proofing day: proofing the new website for the Five Wings Arts Council; proofing the magazine I edit; proofing the book about the vinegary. It was a day of accomplishment but also a day of not getting any one thing finished. Except this little painting. So though it's not a major work of art, it's the one thing I finished today.

5" x 7" $710

February 21 It seems there was an unfortunate incident as the tomatoes paid homage to the squash

I guess this one's self explanatory. Don't ask me why. Sometimes art just happens. Sundays seem to produce some quirky stuff.

16" x 20" $520

February 15, Toying with Food

I admit I had no idea where I was going with this one when I started. I put the hardboard on a flat surface and dribbled black, red, blue and green paint on it. Next, I used a two inch brush to push the paint around, leaving some fairly thick spots. Then I left it to dry; ran upstairs for supper.

When I came back, the thickest parts hadn't dried completely but I set the hardboard up on my easel anyway. The paint dripped thickly.

My intent was to make a stack of tomatoes but I wasn't sure how. So, it just happened. I suppose it isn't proper to play with food. Expecially when you personify it and then skewer it. Sorry, but some of the best food I've had has been skewered. I thought of titling this "Frost Threatens in the Garden of Earthly Delights" or "Threats in the Garden" or "Tomato, Tomato, Tomato."

There's a good chance that some comments will result in a new title. So it goes.

16" x 20" $460

January 14 Attacking the Tomato

Maybe I should just quit buying winter tomatoes. If I bought them for beauty and to paint, they'd be perfect. Since I'd really like to savor the flavor, I'm usually disappointed.

This tomato has been sitting on my counter top for about 3 weeks. It's still beautiful. But no matter from which direction you attack it, it has no juice and therefore no flavor. I placed it on a paper towel and stuck the forks in from four directions. Watching from above, not a single drop of juice wet the paper towel. I've painted it from a design perspective, looking down on it from above. The message is simple: bad tomato. Oh, and don't get any strange ideas that I'm punishing it. No, just showing there's no juice. That's all.

11" x 14" $140

January 9, Mortar, Pestle and Tomatoes

Saturday. Vacuuming, picking up, putting away. I washed the chains and hanging globes of the lights in the main bathroom. Made a couple of phone calls for a committee I'm serving on. Washed the yellow kitchen rug. Assembled lunch and took special notice of the brass mortar and pestle on the kitchen counter. Also, still thinking about the tomato I had intended to paint yesterday. Ate it for lunch and it could have been a potato. Sometime I might paint three tomatoes and a potato. I would title it, "Tomato, Tomato, Tomato, Potato." Reminds me of a song.

Globes, chains, tomatoes, brass -- round objects and metal. I was up for the challenge of painting metal; and red orbs. So, here it is: brass and red orbs.

11" x 14" - $90