A poster for Pseudolus

                                                An original, tempera, poster design, on paper
                                                24x18" unframed, - (mat size, 30x24")
                                                $!,400.00, - (plus $25.00, pack and ship)


      After the release of the movie A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum,
there was a revival of interest in Ancient Roman Comedies for a while.  This was my
preliminary, poster design for a proposed, college-theater production of a play by Plautus.

                                                       (click on image to enlarge)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

     This bold, colorful design has a playful exuberance, suitable to the play which it
would have promoted, but it is not a work of subtlety or depth, and the influence of
Picasso is a bit too obvious.  Even so, perhaps the poster still has a brightly decorative
appeal for those who have an interest in theater and stage arts, or for poster-art
enthusiasts in general.

The Legionnaire

                                           An original mixed-media painting, on heavy card-stock
                                           17x12", unframed - ( mat size, 23x18")
                                           $700.00,- (plus $20.00, pack and ship)

     Roman soldiers have been subjects for artists to paint and ponder so frequently,
 for over two millennia, that those figures have become costumed cliches in many
paintings, and yet the striking theme of Roman armor still retains some appeal.
     We can't help but wonder what it was like for the soldiers of that time, to have
to sign up for twenty-five years, and spend their lives on the march, into the far
reaches of the empire.  In most cases, every man was carrying weaponry and
equipment which weighed the equivalent of that carried by today's soldiers,
 or even more.

                                                            ( click on image to enlarge )

   
      The composition of the painting is an arrangement of shapes with contrasting
textures, and light and dark values.

     Giclee fine-art prints of this painting are available.

Oriental Lilly and Old China Dog

                                                       An original acrylic painting on gessoed panel

                                                       10x8" unframed

                                                        $400.00, (plus $8.00, pack and ship)

    The little ceramic figurine of the dog, in this painting, is a prewar import from Japan.

It has been in the family for as far back as I can remember, and I believe it was probably

purchased for pennies at a neighborhood dime-store.  I'm sure that it was played with by

a small boy or two, but somehow the little guy survived without being broken, cracked or 

chipped.  For seven decades or more, he has been faithfully standing guard, wherever he

was placed, and from time to time, he shows up in still-life paintings.

                                                               (click on image to enlarge)  

   

     This is a fairly traditional still-life painting.  The single, oriental lilly blossom was

snipped from a full stalk of blossoms, to use as a means of giving a sense of scale,

for viewers to be able to judge the size of the figurine.

     Giclee fine-art prints of this painting are available.

Before The Diamonds Melt

                                                  An original oil on heavy, tinted card-stock
                                                  20x30" unframed
                                                  $2,000.00,  plus $25.00 pack and ship


    I have admired John Marin's boldly expressive approach to structuring his
painting compositions, and the rapid manner in which he seemed to grasp hold
of the shattered planes of earth, sea and sky, which he slashed on to paper and
canvas.  I don't recall whether I may have been thinking of Marin at the time that
I did this oil study, but I recognize some similarities of style in it.  The aggressive
enthusiasm of the painting technique seemed like a good way to try and capture
the feel of one of those magical, sparkling mornings, when you wake up to discover
that a heavy frost has crystallized the fields, and encrusted every leaf and blade of
grass with diamond dust, transforming the world into billions of faceted, reflections
of light.

                                                         (click on image to enlarge)  

Fire Dancer

                                                             
                                                               An original pastel and ink painting
                                                               24x18" unframed -  mat size 30x24"
                                                               $2,000.00, ( plus $25.00, pack and ship )

     After a long day of competition at a Native American pow-wow,
it is often the young dancers who still have the energy to continue displaying
the intricate craftsmanship of their splendid, new regalia, into the later hours..
 Such is the case with this proud young boy, caught here momentarily,
 in the flickering light and shadow of the fire.

                                                             ( click on image to enlarge )

Gifts From A Garden

                                               An original oil painting, on canvas panel
                                               30x24", unframed
                                                $2,500.00  (plus $25.00 pack and ship)

     Unexpected little surprises can be a joy for an aged and infirm lady, who is rarely
able to venture down her front porch steps, and whose life has become a confinement
of monotony.  Such a surprise was exemplified by this spring bouquet of light yellow
irises and foliage.  It was picked by a kind neighbor, and placed on her porch, as a
thoughtful gift, to brighten her day.  That is where it became the subject of a painting.

                                                                   (Click on image to enlarge)
  

       This painting is perhaps not as vigorously expressive as Van Gogh's irises, but I
think it does have some the impressionists feel for capturing dappled sunlight and shade
effects, of which Renoir and Monet were such masters.
      The composition contains a subtle "S" curve, provided by the placement and shapes
of the iris leaf-blades, spiraling through the bouquet.

Silent Laughter

                                               An original pastel on tinted board
                                               18x12" unframed, ( mat size 24x18")
                                               $900.00, ( plus $20.00, pack and ship)

     On rare occasions, the world of entertainment has given us characters who, because
of their particularly identifiable costume and make-up became recognizable around the
globe.  Among those in that category are The Little Tramp, created by Charlie Chaplin,
( with his derby hat, little mustache, baggy pants and cane ), and Pagliacci, the tragic
clown whose painted smile can not hide his tears.  And then , of course, there is Marcel
Marceau's famous mime persona Bip.  I present Bip here, giving us his trademark,
joyous laugh, which we hear , not with our ears, but with our hearts.     

                                                            ( Click on image to enlarge )

     The media and technique used here are somewhat reminiscent of Lautrec's,
poster-style studies of Parisians frequenting the Moulin Rouge.  The descriptive
outlines of shapes, and the flattened planes, which the impressionists admired about
Japanese wood-block prints, still have an appealing simplicity that I admire today.  

Sunbeams and Daydreams

                                              An original watercolor painting
                                              18x24" unframed  ( mat size 24x30" )
                                               $2,000.00, plus $25.00 pack and ship


       This large watercolor is a slightly smaller version of the watercolor
which I showed in an earlier blog posting, titled Scarlet's Reverie.  I recall that
I painted this version not long after completing the earlier one, in order to
concentrate more on the abstract pattern of the composition, and to place
more emphasis on the pair of drifting swans, which seem to be permanently
transfixed in an enchanted dreamworld.

                                                             ( Click on image to enlarge.)