Cherries and Scribbles

Cherries and Scribbles   oil   8 x 24 x .5

Visual people seem to pay attention to what they like...or not.  For me, I feel that there is a perceptual "lift" in my spirits when shapes, colors and rhythms arise to the surface, a bit like a runner's high.  I definitely zone out when there is too much clutter, too many things.  So, rather than a complex still life, I prefer honing in on one particular.  Usually, I would be tempted to paint this small crock of cherries on a square canvas.  In this instance, I used a format that would stretch my imagination...a split screen with a bit of texture.  Simple, yet complex.  The darker layer of red violet was painted over a light ground and scratched into, almost immediately.  The color palette of light blue and burgundy (or oxblood or cordovan) recalls the oxford shirts, penny loafers and madras fabric of my early teenage years, the time of "coming of age", when colors, songs and experiences seem stronger than anything else experience up to that point in time.  It is a palette I have always loved.

So, I guess it would seem that this work satisfies me on so many levels....aesthetically, of course.