We have Art that we may not perish from truth. Friedrich Nietzsche
Art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos. A stillness which characterizes prayer, too, and the eye of the storm…an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction. Saul Bellow
My Art education began in grade school when I was placed in Major Art classes in the New York City public schools. Though I loved painting, I never saw it as my career. In college and graduate school, I studied History and Literature while painting with artists in private studios. Upon graduation, I became an educator, married, and eventually settled in Manhattan and Hampton Bays, NY. I continued to paint in my spare time, especially in the Hamptons where I had a glorious studio in my home. Upon the death of my wife in 2013, I left the Hamptons, found a studio space in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and picked up my brushes in earnest. In 2020, I relocated permanently to Palm Springs, California where I continue to be inspired and paint outdoors in the glorious sunshine. I have achieved a modicum of success – my paintings are well received and hang in many private collections across the country and in Europe.
I paint quickly, ergo acrylics. I always begin with a color board saturating the canvas with splashes of color. I then create the central theme, painting away the color board, leaving edges to add depth. There is always something beneath what you see on the canvas –what you see at first sight. There is always something more to find! My paintings are mainly abstract expressionist exposing my mantra, “Live your life in black and white, but think in shades of gray.”
The paintings on this site represent my journey as an artist. Like many artists, my style took twists and turns, looked forward and back, but it continues to evolve.
Exhibitions
Red, Yellow, Blue, Van Der Plas Gallery. New York, US. [November 18th – 24th, 2019]
4 Elements, Van Der Plas Gallery. New York, US. [July 22nd – 28th, 2019]
Kunstfest, Van Der Plas Gallery. New York, US. [October 24th – November 1st, 2018]
All Art +, Van Der Plas Gallery. New York, US. [August 27th – September 1st, 2018]
Residencies
Visiting Artists and Scholars Residency in Painting, American Academy in Rome, Italy [February 2019]
Collectors
Lisa Rotunno, Palm Springs, CA
Dr. Buzz Edelburg, Palm Springs, CA
Lori Kaplan, Washington, DC
JoAnn Petrullo, St. Louis, Mo. and New York, NY
Walt Trask, Palm Springs, CA and San Miguel Allende, Mexico
Tina Mahoney, Wicklow Town, Ireland
Vincent Cappa, Palm Springs, CA
Grace Harvey, New York, NY
Michele Willens, New York, NY
Raymond Coppola, East Hampton, NY
Craig Bealer, Santa Monica, CA
Mr. and Ms. Cosmo Ficara, New York, NY
Jonuel Pozo, Palm Springs, Ca.
Ann Belzner, Chevy Chase, Md.
Julie Jensen, Asheville, N.C.
Michele Scarano, NY, NY
Carole Segal, Queens, NY
Susan Prevo, Rockville Center, NY
Joan DiLieto, NY, NY
Carlos Torres Machado, Brooklyn, NY
John Coppola, Los Angeles, Ca.
Dr. and Mrs. J. Fracchia, NY, NY
Janet Halpin, NY, NY
Lee Licata, Staten Island, NY
Terri Peters, Lakewood, NJ
Laurie Hayden, Brooklyn, NY
Charles Meyer, NY, NY
Mr. and Mrs. Pradeep Malde, Sewanee, Tn.
Jane Izard, Sewanee, Tn.
Patricia Kuhnle, Queens, NY
Mr. and Mrs. N. DiLieto, Lakewood, NJ
Varanasi, 2016 | Chromogenic Print, Edition of 3 | 8.5 in. x 11 in.