The potato is the new golden calf. You think about it constantly. The skin is rich and nuanced with color and blemish. The eyes are also nose and mouth. It's the man in the moon. The shape is forgiving and oh so earthly right. No one will notice a wrong curve. Give it weight, give it light and shadow, give it form, maybe even some dirt, and it'll be a potato - and we will like it. If, on the other hand, you intended to paint a portrait and we thought it was a potato, perhaps it's time to step away from the canvas.

A purple potato, almost royal. With this, the fight is on. This potato could launch ships.

Royal Potato, 5" x 6", available


Back to a more tangible reality; The small landscapes have me wanting to speed up my hand. In those landscapes, I moved fast and with confidence. Mincing away at a painting rarely results in anything but a lifeless rendition, however accurate. Even if these small paintings are a kind sparring, a warming up and learning, I have to swing as though this is a real fight. Thankfully, metaphors aside, the canvas isn't the boxing ring. This garlic clove was painted prior to the royal potato.

Garlic Clove, 6" x 4", available

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