Vintage Themes

"Chopsticks" oil 11x14

"Vintage" oil 11x14

 Vintage themes are inspired by several influences. My mother and grandmother were both antique dealers. I grew up loving learning the history of unusual "things" that magically appeared in our home. We had beaver top hats, crank handle coffee grinders, and flow blue china. Delft tile,  tiles of Sculley Square and  half boats were on our beach house wall. None of my friends had stuff like this in their homes. There was always a story that went with it. Our Norwood Art Association gallery is in an old factory turned "antique mall" and I find myself once again surrounded by the type of items that intrigue me. In the still life above, the blue fan grabbed my attention partly because of it's vibrant color and partly because it reminded me of the Japanese influence on American artists at the turn of the century. The vintage hat, frame, fur and silver hairbrush are reminiscent of my grandmothers and the items that adorn our guest room now. They are more conversation pieces than utilitarian, but they tell a story of our ancestors and a life before throw aways. I was attracted to the fur, feather and lacy textures and the brights reds that made the subject matter become warm and alive.