The Mediterranean Influence.
The origin of the smaller works are importantly Mediterranean, inspired by two extended warm and profound visits to Italy. The focus of these paintings shifts to weathered walls, flaking color, textured stucco surfaces, muted sun softened colors and fresco images in Pompeii. The isolated, taken out of context wall sections are greatly abstracted in their serendipitous surface, color and configuration of shapes. The isolated wall sections become the take off point, as I humbly attempt to make a small part of historic time and place my own. I believe all my paintings, acrylics, oils, oil pastels and prisma on Xerox, have a kind of family resemblance, that illusive something that ties them all together. A large thank you to the impressionists, Monet in particular, for their sensibilities. During the evolution of a series something will usually hint at the next approach. These changes in subject, media or organization are necessary to sustain the themes and my own sensibilities. I plan to reintroduce the color glazes to the Italy wall paintings, if so, I may have come full circle.
"Pompeii Wall #1"
c. 17.5" x 21.25" oil pastel

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