Variety: Objects and Animals
Chairs, bowls, Fire Hydrants, Fans, a kitty, doggies, and more. Sometimes something about everyday items, or an animal’s personality, catches my eye and I want to explore it through painting.
I have noted the paintings I have available.
Money Tree with 6 stalks (for Hot Zushi), 28x31 2023. Acrylic on Canvas. I live in a great neighborhood - The Lower Haight. There are a number of businesses within blocks of my home, and just a block away is one I frequent regularly named Hot Zushi (a Sushi restaurant). The prices are good, the quality is excellent, and the owners David and Connie are friendly and get to know their regulars - of which they have many. When the COVID pandemic hit, their business was impacted, as were so many; take-out was the norm, and I ordered regularly as did others. Their business survived. Over the years their friendliness and kindness has had such a positive impact during these trying times. One night over a bottle or two of Sake, we discussed how the placement of plants in the space, their lucky bamboo plant and images of outdoor greenery on the walls all supported good feng shui. I asked if they would be interested in a money-tree painting as a gift (yes please) and over time we discussed what elements they would like to see in the painting. The finished painting includes 6 stalks (David says six stalks represents good luck and prosperity), and lots of greenery. This was another fun painting to do, I enjoyed putting together all the interlocking shapes and layers. (Available)
Cupcake - Chocolate and Orange, 10x10 2023. Oil on Board. Wayne Thiebaud passed away in Dec. 2021 and I have always loved his work, so I decided to do 4 paintings of desserts and call it For Wayne, and when my mother passed away in Oct. 2022, since she loved ice cream in cones and particularly Neapolitan, I added Moms Favorite. (Available)
Cupcake - Peppermint, 10x10 2023. Oil on Board. (Available)
Cupcake - Banana Cream, 10x10 2023. Oil on Board. (Available)
Cupcake - Key Lime, 10x10 2023. Oil on Board. (Available)
Ice Cream Cone - Moms Favorite - Neapolitan, 10x10 2023. Oil on Board. (Available)
Webster and Waller Streets, San Francisco CA, 36x36 1998. Oil on Canvas. This was the first hydrant I painted, it was outside the window of my painting studio and down on the street one level. I had seen a lot of things occur around that hydrant over the years I lived in that apartment. Soon after I finished the painting, the top of the real hydrant was painted white. A year or so before I did the fire hydrant series, David, Laura Williams husband gave me a photograph of a fire hydrant he took and for years the simplicity of the image and the personality of that solitary hydrant brought me to begin looking at them on the street more frequently. Each hydrant, stationary for years, subject to abuse in one way or another by both man and dog. I began to see each as a little figure. I noticed the variety of shapes and colors and asked friends to send me images of hydrants from where they lived and traveled. When I first started the series, a good friend, Russell, asked why I was going to paint fire hydrants. In my mind’s eye I could see the finished paintings all in a row on some long white wall, my only response was that I felt compelled to. (And they did look great on one wall). I found along the way, each hydrant, the different colors, the different size arms all had meaning to Firemen. The result was stunning.
Castro and Market Streets, San Francisco CA, 36x36 1998. Oil on Canvas. This hydrant is at the busy intersection of Castro and Market. I had to do one from this neighborhood, which was at the time the center of nightlife for me and my friends where we would often meet on a Friday night. This one is full of symbolism.
Carmel-By-The-Sea, Carmel CA, 36x36 1998. Oil on Canvas. While visiting my mother in Seaside, I went driving around looking for hydrants and came across this one right along the beach in Carmel. It was so different than any I had seen, the salty air had taken its toll.
Greenwich Street NYC, 36x36 1998. Oil on Canvas. This hydrant is from a photo my friend Dan sent to me from a trip he made to NYC.
Mission and 14th Street San Francisco CA, 36x36 1998. Oil on Canvas. Out walking around the city as I often do, I came across this one in the Mission neighborhood. I had seen many similar in style, but this one had a green top, and seemed to be a favorite with the dogs.
Sacramento, Sacramento CA, 36x36 1998. Oil on Canvas. One of my best friends, Will, sent me this image of a hydrant in Sacramento where he was living. The top of the hydrant seems reminiscent of a Fireman’s hat and the dry grassy field in the background evoked a sense of solitude and peacefulness. A peacefulness that would be short lived, as the field would soon become a housing development. At this point in painting the series, the chains began to take on symbolism for me, this one: marriage.
Winter, South Shore Lake Tahoe CA, 36x36 1998. Oil on Canvas. Still on my quest to find seven distinct looking hydrants, up snowboarding in Tahoe one weekend, I saw this stunning red hydrant shimmering against the white of the snow. I had found my seventh hydrant.
Peter's Fire Hydrant,10x10 2012. Oil on Canvas.
Richard's Fire Hydrant, 10x10 2012. Oil on Canvas.
Rufus's Fireplug, 30x36 ~1998. Oil on Canvas. My good friends Dan and Jeff commissioned me to do a fireplug for their dog Rufus.
Green bowl, 12x12 2000. Oil on Canvas. My school mate Kim mentioned that doing multiples helped get into the subtleties of an item. So, after I completed the fans, I went on to do bowls, simple shapes but to refine them and have fun with the color.
Orange bowl, 12x12 2000. Oil on Canvas.
Blue bowl, 12x12 2000. Oil on Canvas.
Yellow bowl, 12x12 2000. Oil on Canvas.
Orange Fan, 12x12 1999. Oil on Canvas. My friend Keith gave me this old fan and like my previous painting of the school chair called, Van Goughs chair, I went whimsical with my painting on this and the other fan paintings. This fan series is beautiful to see together.
Green Fan, 12x12 1999. Oil on Canvas. Another in the series of 4.
Pink Fan, 12x12 1999. Oil on Canvas. The last in the series of 4 fan paintings, I was thinking of calling this one Chilling in the Castro.
Yellow Fan, 12x12 1999. Oil on Canvas. Another in the fan series.
Blue Telephone, 13x10 2011. Oil on Canvas. After painting the group. I separated the phones into individual paintings.
Orange Telephone, 13x10 2011. Oil on Canvas. After painting the group. I separated the phones into individual paintings.
Yellow Telephone, 13x10 2011. Oil on Canvas. After painting the group. I separated the phones into individual paintings.
Red Telephone, 13x10 2011. Oil on Canvas. After painting the group. I separated the phones into individual paintings.
Blue Boat, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA.
Green Boat, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA.
Orange Boat, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA.
Green Truck, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA.
Orange Truck, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA. (Available)
Pink Truck, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA. (Available)
Blue Plane, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA.
Orange Plane, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA. (Available)
Pink Plane, Reflections of Youth, 22x22 2008. Acrylic on Canvas. Toy Paintings for Zonal Home Interiors, S.F. CA.
ZONAL CHAIR, 36x43 1999. Oil on Canvas. For Russell at Zonal Home Interiors in San Francisco.
Green Chair, 36x48 1996. Oil on Canvas. This chair was part of a series of chair paintings. This chair was at my friend Russell’s store Zonal Home Interiors in Hayes Valley.
Green Chair #2, 36x48 1997. Oil on Canvas. This chair was part of a series of chair paintings. This chair was at my friend Russell’s store Zonal Home Interiors in Hayes Valley.
Green Chair #3, 11x14 1996. Oil on Canvas. This chair was part of a series of chair paintings. This chair was at my friend Russell’s store Zonal Home Interiors in Hayes Valley.
Red Chair, 11x14 1996. Oil on Canvas. Another in the series of the chair paintings.
Red Chair #2, 40x42 1998. Oil on Canvas. This chair was part of a series of chair paintings. This chair was at my friend Russell’s store Zonal Home Interiors in Hayes Valley.
Van Goughs Chair, 20x30 ~1996. Oil on Canvas. I found this old school chair at a garage sale across the street from where I lived and was drawn to paint it in a whimsical style. What emerged was something akin to a painterly Van Gough painting. I really enjoyed painting this painting. My Doctor at the time, Dr. Michael P. now owns this painting.
Todd and Kevin's chair, 40x44 1998. Oil on Canvas. This chair was part of a series of chair paintings. This chair was painted for friends Todd and Kevin.
Red Pump, 14x16 2000. Oil on Canvas. I really enjoyed painting the Dry Creek Gas Station painting and wanted to do some close ups of the Gas pumps. This is one of the three.
Blue Pump, 14x16 2000. Oil on Canvas.
White Pump, 14x16 2000. Oil on Canvas.
Bunky, 10x10 2018. Oil on Board. Friends Kurt and Roland commissioned a painting of Bunky for our mutual friend Bob. I had a great time with this painting. Bunky passed away in 2017.
Alex the Cat, 16x16 2010. Oil on Canvas. For Jay and Alberto. The lovely Alex.
Sidney, 12x12 2016. Oil on Canvas. A collector of my artwork asked me to do a painting of her Sidney. It took me quite some time to move forward with the painting, but after meeting Sidney, taking some pictures and seeing pictures of his favorite place Fort Funston I was on the canvas having a good time.
Books, 16x20 2011. Oil on Canvas. Was purchased for the Two Sisters Bar and Books in Hayes Valley San Francisco.
Taylors Kitchen Sacramento CA, 12x18 2015. Oil on Canvas. For my friend Will. On a visit to Sacramento, stopping at Taylors Kitchen I was inspired to undertake this painting.
The choo-choo train, 16x20 2012. Acrylic on Canvas. For Jana, Paul and their son.
Statue of Mary M with roses, 44x44 ~2013. Oil on Canvas. My friend Kurt took a beautiful emotion filled B&W picture of the statue in front of the Mission San Francisco which inspired me to take that image and make a painting of it. The painting now hangs in Kurt’s home. It is truly a lovely contemplative painting.
Circles and Lines, 12x12 2015 Oil on Canvas. For Ann and Dana, a lovely couple who have honored me by requesting a piece of my artwork for their Berkeley home. The foundational imagery used for inspiration was borrowed from another piece by Kim Frohsin – with her approval.
Sweet Dreams, 11x14, 2014. Acrylic on Canvas.