Saucier

11x14 oil on linen
Ask Gardner Colby Galleries about this painting

Click on this one to see it larger. I could have gone on and covered more canvas and added more details but I decided to stop. I loved it at this point - loose, fresh and gestural. This is more of what I want to do and I just have to be bold enough to do it. Hopefully, the gallery and their patrons will approve!

Brigade de Cuisine

14x11 oil on panel
sold

One of my favorite subjects to paint. Its on its way to the Florida for the "Slice of Life" show. Below is a nice little write up on the show which appears in the March issue of American Art Collector. I am still starstuck at the company I am keeping in this show! My parents are going to drive down to see it, and I wish I could join them especially as that is spring break week here in central Texas.  

The Beignet Beat

12x8 oil on panel

Ask Castle Gallery about this painting.

What I wouldn't give right now for a beignet from Cafe du Monde. I need to take another trip there. Its been too long!

In The Night Kitchen

14x18 oil on linen

Ask Tidewater Gallery about this painting.

Back to promoting some of my available work at my representing galleries. This is a scene from a NYC cupcake shop. It was a rainy evening walking past this yummy storefront where the bakers were probably getting a head start on the morning confections.
You can see all the available inventory on the pages linked at the top of the blog. My website is woefully out of date but Blogger has made their blogs so useful that I can create pages for all my galleries and collectors can easily see what is available where.

I guess I will share here that I've been having difficulties communicating with one of my galleries. They are no longer shown on my links. I asked for my work to be returned to me 4 months ago. They just sent back 2 this week. I am not sure if they sold the others and if I will ever see my portion of the sales. I had to file a complaint with the BBB and threaten legal action for them to just send the work to me. This was after letters, weekly emails and countless phones messages. In all these months, I've only had one email response and once I actually caught one of the owners on the phone. They never answer during business hours. I do not actually know if they are in business or not any longer. Its a very frustrating deal.

Sometimes, no matter how enthusiastic someone is to represent your art, it just doesn't work out well. And sometimes, it goes very badly. Its hard times for galleries as well as artists. And while I might want to just be creative all the time, I know its very important to follow through with people and be a good business person. We need to work together to weather this economy. If they had just communicated with me, we could have worked things out amicably.

My advice for those looking for representation is to always talk to other artists represented in the gallery. Get their feedback about the business owner, the staff, and payment schedule. Always have a written/signed agreement or contract laying out terms of the commissions. Visit the gallery if you can. And keep in touch. Pick up the phone or email regularly to check in. Find out what is selling and what clients are interested in. And if you have any concerns, voice them and act.

Even with these things going for you though, sometimes things just go awry, as in my case. I still don't want to believe they are bad people, maybe just bad at business. I can't reach them to talk about it though...

Discussing Tonight's Menu

20x16 oil on linen

Ask Studio 47 about this painting.

Thrill of the Grill

14x18 oil on linen

I often see stories about conservators using xrays and other technology to see what is under a masterpiece painting, and to learn about the artist's methods. I wonder if that will ever happen to my work? This canvas started as a cafe scene that just didn't make it. At some point, I used some of my palette scrapings to smear over that and lay down a nice grayish ground to paint this on. Its actually rather satisfying to use that palette mud to smear over a failed painting. It also creates a really nice, smooth, oil primed surface for a new painting.

This is still the same kitchen that has appeared in the other paintings. I got a lot of mileage out of dinner at Roaring Fork in Austin. Might be time to go back now. Valentine's day?

Sizzle

12x12 oil on panel

Having a lot of fun playing in the kitchen this week. Its a great opportunity to suggest and stay loose.

Toque Party

14x11 oil on linen

Available at one of my galleries soon.

Ok - one last post before I go. I painted this last week. Based on a smaller painting I did last fall. This was from a restaurant in NY. Where I am going tomorrow. And I can't wait. We're staying a funky old place in the west village. So I'll be toolin' around there Friday night soaking up all the atmosphere and getting inspired.

Soups On

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $11 s/h - sold

This was a test run for a 12x12 I'd like to do. I am not sure it worked out well small. But its fun. Better close up actually, though much of my work is too impressionistic to look closely and better viewed framed and on a wall.
We joke when painting outdoors that we've painted a "50-footer"... meaning that its best viewed from 50 feet away.