Spring

For this folder I chose to show a group of Springtime images all in my hometown, Washington, DC. My motivation in creating these very alive and colorful Spring scenes was to show and to reflect to my viewing audience a motto I learned once from my Astronomy professor in college at American University: "Spring has Sprung."

Azaleas and House 2001 oil 32.00 x 48.00 inches $450

For this large painting of azaleas in front of the house I grew up in in Northwest, Washington, DC my aim was to show convincingly springtime color. The warm pinks and light reds of the azaleas both contrast and compliment the light and dark green shutters next to the red brick of the house of my family's dining room area on the outside. To show the warm Springtime weather I made sure the viewer could see one of the two windows partially open.

Cherry Blossom Trees(in NW, Washington, DC)

2013 oil 48.00 x 34.00 inches $500

For this on sight life-painting that I painted in front of my first home(family's house) I emphasized with emphatic paintstrokes the shape of the tree trunks and even their sap and bark well. Then the sprawling branches of rich, full textured, impasto-painted cherry blossoms truly alive and reaching for the afternoon Washingtonian sky, I show my strong and inspired appreciation for Van Gogh's Springtime or anytime blossoming tree paintings especially in Arles, France, When his art truly caught fire there, his trees such as the olive trees, for example, were pulsating with explosive heartfelt life. Just as one of my art history professors at American University once said Michaelangelo's Sisting Ceiling has a heartbeat felt throughout its happening humanity, so too with Van Gogh's tremendous trees and so too with my cardiac cherry trees in Northwest Washington, DC! This above artistic statement I hope my art viewer sees and appreciates too.

Cherry Blossom Trees(in NW, Wash., DC) 2

2011 watercolor 29.00 x 36.00 inches $300

Quince in the Afternoon

2011 oil 47.00 x 33.00 inches $400

For this soothing daydream springtime scene outside the window of my family home's Den Room, I made sure to show an airy, atmospheric setting. This I did well with fully floating upwards-clouds over Washingtonian richly-red brick houses. One note: The house to the left of my family's home has a peculiar pyramid-like-shaped roof. This is all the better for the upward-lifting view from colorful yellow forsythia bushes at the bottom to warm light red/pink quince blossoms to sharp upward angled house roofs to the satisfying moving sky. The viewer I hope can sense all of this especially on an appropriately-stretched vertical canvas created convincingly.

Cherry Tree at Night, NW, Washington, DC 2017 50 x 36 inches oil $800

With the inspiration of a Georgia O'Keeffe painting, "The D.H. Lawrence Tree" that I once saw at The Phillips Collection in my hometown, Washington, DC, by painting this tree at night from a photograph I took I was able to "rise above it all" just as the local Classical Radio station inspires the radio listener to do so when listening to their music. You, the artist or art viewer can rise above the sometimes, "arrogance of Washington, DC" that the Frenchman, Charles De Gaulle once criticised it as, when contemplating a tall cherry tree "rocketing up" towards the clear blue Spring nighttime sky. This view in Washington, DC or Georgia O'Keeffe's "D.H.Lawrence Tree" in New Mexico can keep you calm with chin up and confident that you can clearly appreciate what the Italian writer, Dante once said: "Nature is the art of God!"

Zapatka - Spring Dogwood in Bloom, NW, W

Spring Dogwood in Blossom, NW, Washington, DC 2009 24.00 x 36.00 inches chalk pastel $395

From the outside of my studio at my former Washingtonian home, I clearly captured a Sring-sprung, truly awesomely alive Dogwood Tree in full white-blossom-bloom. By drawing this brightly-colored, sunny, Spring scene in Washington, DC on a large sheet of drawing paper I was able to convince my art viewer that the Cherry Blossom Trees are not the only happening trees in town.

Red-Buds(trees and bushes) next to the Bishop's Garden by The National Cathedral 2012 chalk pastel 28.00 x 22.00 inches $295

White Cherry Blossom Trees in Kenwood, Maryland 2014, 2015, 2016, or 2017 oil pastel 24.00 x 36.00 inches $325

After having driven from Washington, DC into this dreamy driveway/through road, parked and set up my easel in front of the cherry tree to the left, I drew this scene with intense and furious artwork concentration. I had to because a distracting non-stop bumber to bumber car traffic drove to and from this Cloud 9 Kenwood wonder of flowing-forever-it-seems-spring-white-cherry-tree nature. It's no wonder this pleasant pathway must be one of the most driven roads in all of Maryland when these tremendous trees are in full bloom in sunny Springtime whatever year it is.

Zapatka - Pink Cherry Blossom Branches o

Pink Cherry Blossom Branches on White 2006 watercolor 24.00 x 36.00 inches $325

Azaleas(after William Bailey) watercolor 2007 watercolor

Given Away

For this still life of Azaleas I painted in watercolor to classically convey the colorful joy I had in painting azaleas in all their awesome springtime glory, I show the viewer the influence another still life painter had on me. His name is William Bailey, an American still life painter from the mid-west whose classical created style that I imitated in my watercolor's foreground and background. A former art gallery/dealer in my hometown, Washington, DC suggested I look at his work, paintings and his advice was advantageous for my art profession, no doubt.

Forsythia on Blue 2016 oil pastel on royal blue paper 28.00 x 22.00 inches $300

Having once been commissioned by a fellow museum guard and friend at The Phillips Collection to draw an ink drawing on pink paper, I continued the creative inspiration in other art works I created such as this one. By drawing the bright yellow forsythia on royal blue paper in oil pastel I show the strong contrast and complements of yellow and blue for the art viewer to appreciate artistically.