"Delicious"

Several of my candy paintings.

It’s time for the annual “Delicious” show at the Studio Gallery!  “Delicious” is an exhibit of artwork inspired by food and drink. This year several of my candy paintings are on the walls.  There is something for everyone; traditional still life paintings, puppets drinking coffee, glass cupcakes, restaurant scenes, painted vineyards, embroidered candy, sculpture made of cutlery, and much, much more. 

  

The show runs from March 16 to April 10^th, 2011.  I will be at the opening reception when it begins on Sunday, March 20^th, from 2-6.  I hope you can stop by and say “hello”.  The Studio Gallery shows work by local artists at affordable prices. 

Though the artwork is “no cal” you may leave craving a chocolate glazed doughnut!

Studio Gallery

1815 Polk Street (between Washington and Jackson)

San Francisco, CA 94109

www.STUDIOGallerySF.com

A view of the gallery.

Gallery window on Polk St.  My "Peaches and Cream" ribbon candy in the bottom corner.

Step One

The First Paintings of 2011

Having just finished my first paintings of 2011, I thought I’d take a week off to get some other projects done.  Alas, after several days, the painting itch started and I’m about to go back at it. 

The candy series does not feel done.  I made a trip to the local candy store to pick up some spice drops, licorice, Swedish Fish, and stick candy.  Then I had an epiphany; Marshmallow Peeps!  And they are even “in season”!  Peeps have such beautiful shape, color, and texture.  They repulse and attract at the same time (at least me).  I can hear grown-up Pam yelling at little Pam that she can’t have any, they’re pure sugar, unhealthy.  Little Pam doesn’t care.  Both sides won today because the chicks will be painted, devoured with my eyes, and not eaten (maybe).

Before I start painting I need to play.  I take all the candy out of its packaging to find the best compositions.  Items get stacked, turned, put together and taken apart.  Then I have to find a canvas to fit the arrangement.  When I’m satisfied I’ll sketch the subject on canvas and start the underpainting.  This is going to be fun!

Candy Composing

New Beginnings

Celebrating the New Year is not terribly meaningful for me.  It’s just a date.  Why not make any moment of any day a “New Year”?  The chance to start over, make plans, and adjust focus should not be limited to this annual event.  However, this year January 1^st coincided with some inner shifts, and the holiday felt significant to me. I decided I wanted to start the first full week of January with work in progress.

When I paint, I like to work on many pieces at once.  There are several reasons for this method.  For one, it’s practical.  I work in oil, and I work small.  Paintings quickly reach a point where they need to dry before being reworked.  If I sat around waiting for the paint to dry I would loose productivity, and perhaps my momentum.  Also, working on many paintings at once creates a cohesive set, reflecting my frame of mind and skill in a given time period.  Finally, if life distracts me from painting, I find it is much easier to start up again with unfinished pieces rather than start something fresh.  Again, it is all about momentum.  So, over the past seven days I started thirteen paintings.  

Work in Progress

This next set reflects a change in subject matter.  I’m taking a break from found beach objects and exploring a theme I’ve been thinking about for a long time, candy. For me, it’s not too dissimilar from sea glass.  Hard candy is colorful, luminous, and sometimes translucent like glass.  Instead of hunting the beach for subject matter, I’m hunting in shops around San Francisco.   Also, I love that my palette is expanding.  With candy I get to use bright pink, yellow, orange, and green!  These indulgences come in a myriad of shapes and designs further expanding my repertoire. Beautiful sweets draw our eye and entice us with the promise of something delicious.  Unlike sea glass, we can physically consume the beauty.  

 

You might be wondering if I will eat my subjects once the paintings are complete.  Uh, …no.  I’ve been handling them way too much, they are sitting out collecting dust, and are exposed to paint and solvents.  Believe it or not, I don’t have a sweet tooth.  With the exception of chocolate, my definition of culinary bliss is a bowl full of salty cheese popcorn.

My subjects!