From February 2024

A Quick Trip to Los Angeles

Billis Williams Gallery / Los Angeles / February 24, 2024
Seven Clocks / 36 x 30 inches / oil on canvas / 2023

I have returned from a whirlwind trip to Los Angeles to attend the opening reception of my current solo exhibition at the Billis Williams Gallery.

I went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where I saw an exhibition called “The World Made Wonderous,” showcasing 17th-century Dutch collections, including many paintings from which I draw direct influence. I won’t get too nerdy here, but I was entirely in my element and wandered through the gallery twice to absorb as much as possible.

Then, it was off to the gallery for the reception, where I met and talked with artists, collectors, and curious gallerygoers. The conversations I have during the receptions are always so encouraging. The best part is connecting with Tressa Williams, principal director of the gallery, who has shown my work for thirteen years. The key to any artist’s success is having a team of enthusiastic people who share your work with the world — that is precisely what Tressa does.

Piles of Unread Books

Several years ago, I painted a small series of “tsundoku” paintings. You can read about them here.

I am including a few new piles of unread books in my upcoming Los Angeles exhibition at the Billis Williams Gallery.

What Must I Do to Get Well? And How Can I Keep So? / 12 x 24 inches / oil on canvas / 2024 / framed

Now that I fully have a phone-brain and a mild dopamine-scrolling addiction, I find it more and more difficult to read books the way I used to. But I am up for the challenge and work my best to set aside time to read like it’s the olden times.

The Distressed Mind / 12 x 24 inches / oil on canvas / 2024 / framed

The exhibition of new paintings opens on Saturday, February 24th. I will be at the reception from 4pm–7pm that day.

Recent Clock Paintings

These two pieces will be part of my upcoming exhibition in Los Angeles at the Billis Williams Gallery, opening on February 24th.

My last exhibition in New York involved many large paintings, so this time around, I decided to work on a slightly smaller group of canvases.

Three Clocks & Pelican Classics / 18 x 36 inches / oil on canvas / 2024 / on the easel

Also, the black. Let’s talk about it. Years and years ago, I regularly set my work on deep black ground. I gradually phased that out and worked exclusively on white — or near-white grounds. In the past few years, I have done smaller paintings in black; it revealed my subject in a fresh and new way. So, above is the first of a slightly larger painting of what will become a new direction for my work.

Below, we have a neutral grey approach. Another way to make the subjects pop right off of the canvas.

Six Clocks – Folk Tales and Fables / 18 x 36 inches / oil on canvas / 2024 / on the easel