Melancholia, Self Portrait, 15" x 21"

I drew and printed this lithograph in 1978 at the Yale School of Art. Back then the print studio was adjacent to the architecture studio on the same floor. There were many influences floating around in Paul Rudolph's building: Josef Alber's tubular wall sculpture hung above the entrance. Cement casts of classical Greek sculpture hung in the stair wells. Al Held was an important influence on my work.  I was one of the few printmakers he took an interest in.  He was brash and rude and completely honest. He would drive up to New Haven from NYC in a big old Cadillac.  They had an apartment for him to stay in overnight. He would make the rounds of our studios and give us critiques.
 Elizabeth Murray, William Bailey, John Walker and Gabor Peterdi were also teaching. I drew this image inspired by Durer on a thin old stone which cracked in half after the second impression was pulled.

October Symmetry, oil/panel, 13" x 34"

Plein Air Panel Paintings

Shaker Lake Arabesque

In The Valley of God's Pleasure, The Lower Shaker Lake

I painted this in my studio at the Windermere storage building in East Cleveland. I used a plein air on panel painting and hired a life drawing model. The Shakers called their settlement "The Valley of God's Pleasure."

Independence Day, New Haven CT

Pearched on a rock during a medium stinky low tide on the 4th of July, I painted this scene of the New Haven Light House. A wading man asked if I made a living at this. "It's a labour of love." I said. He pointed to the shore and the people walking on the rocks and began to talk about his family, his profession and the possiblity of a divorce.

Beachcombing, Water Water Everywhere

While painting this water scene, plein air on an old pier, a juvenile swimmer canonballed a huge splash onto the canvas and me. Thank God water and oil don't mix. The bird, a "common snipe" was painted in the studio.

"Gifts Of Neptune"

We Like Oysters

Captain Jack's Wharf, P Town

Did Michaelangelo Make A Mistake?

After a discussion with a Jewish friend, I changed my depiction of Michaelangelo's statue, Rachel. Is it true that Jews do not pray with their palms touching, but with their hands over the heart? I hope so because I sanded off the old image of hands and repainted them over her heart. (In oil painting it is dangerous to paint in layers especially when one is dry: Good oil paints have mineral pigments in them which make the linseed oil dry at different rates.) That's my shadow on the left. The painting is dated 1993-1995 and is in my collection.

Rachel, oil/shaped linen, 46.5"x37.5", P.O.R.

Self Portrait As Apollo, oil/shaped canvas, 44"x29", P.O.R.

Painted in 1988 in our ancient and decadent Rome: Manhattan, I am precariously and pensively pearched on the god of archery, prophecy, medecine poetry and music.

Part Time Human Manequin circa 1969 A.D.

This photo was shot by my dear old highschool friend Robyn Smith, who is now a web designer and... photographer in Maine. She sent me this photo. Robyn was the designated photographer for the high school yearbook. We were hitting up Sears and J.C. Penny's to be a sponsor. This is the inspiration for my blog and it's title.