Andres Leonard Zorn (1860-1920) is known for using a limited palette. It is believed that Zorn reduced his palette to as few as three rather earthy colors – Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red Medium, Ivory Black plus White. There seems to be some disagreement over the exact number of colors on his palette. Some lists add Vermillion, Viridian, and/or Cerulean Blue.
Creating beautiful oil paintings without poisoning myself and the world is important to me. I have been oil painting for nearly four decades and have never been happier than when I paint with M. Graham & Co. walnut oil based paints. Over the years I have tried nearly every high-priced professional art oils on the market and I keep coming back to M. Graham.
This leather box originally belonged to my grandfather, Lewis G. Adams. He has been my life-long inspiration and hero. An American art student in Paris during the 1920’s, he became a major architect in New York City. He was also an accomplished watercolor painter. Above all, he was one of the most creative, funny, generous and compassionate human beings I ever knew.
Richard Schmid is one of the few courageous and incredibly talented artists, late 20th Century artists who swam against the tide of pop, post-modern, conceptual and other movements to kept representational art alive. Schmid is not only a great painter he is one of the most generous and gifted teachers of the fine art of painting.
The Adventurers is my salute to my first art hero, Winslow Homer. His paintings of endless summer days, Breezing Up, Snap the Whip, his watercolors of the Bahamas. I love the carefree feeling he created of being in nature and embracing life. He also had the amazing gift to create timeless and universal images from contemporary life. My hope was to come close to doing the same in The Adventurers.
A Meyer Lemon is nothing like your ordinary store-bought lemon. Its skin smoother with a color that leans toward gold. Their juice is sweet with a hint of orange through the subtle tartness. The truth is I am infatuated by their look, especially when washed by the southern light from our kitchen window. Even though our tree is loaded with these wonderful fruits in the winter, they remind me of warm summer days.
Sometimes I feel compelled to paint a subject for no reason other than to satisfy an obsession. This is one of those times. The books belonged to my grandfather. Given to him in 1910 and subsequently came into my possession. As realist still life painter I feel a connection to Chardin, one of the greatest still life painters ever. Vermeer is an artist whose little paintings tower over nearly every artist before and after him. I am always inspired by the intimacy of his work. And of course there is Degas, Millet and so many wonderful artist who have added so much beauty to my life and who have led me to see the world anew time and time again.
There was something a little melancholy about Arles. Beauty is found there. At the heart of the city, I was surprised and impressed by the well preserved Roman amphitheater and the arena – which is undergoing a very dramatic restoration.
Of course Arles’ most famous – perhaps infamous – resident was Vincent Van Gogh. This is where some of his finest paintings were created – “Starry Night”, “The Cafe with the Yellow Awning,” “The Postman”. It is also where Gaugin lived with Vincent for a short time until Vincent’s troubling behavior became too much to tolerate. After Vincent’s notorious breakdown when he sliced a piece of his ear off and presented it to a prostitute, the people of Arles had him arrested and petitioned him to be expelled from the city. That led to his move to the asylum in St. Remy.
The copper bowl used in Sunshine Bowl is usually on our mantle. We filled it full of ripe Meyer lemons from a backyard tree. I am always amazed at the bounty of fresh citrus we get in the winter. Lemons often make an appearance in my paintings. They symbolize life. Storing energy from the summer sun and the nutrition from the earth, they are the perfect, healthful fruit.
Flower Collection
Landscape Collection
Fruit Collection
Still Life Collection