These are two of my favorite apps (appetizers, not applications) - Twice Baked Potato Skins and Brisket Burnt Ends. Both are magically created from scraps formerly thrown away, now repurposed into delicious, stand-alone bites. These came to mind recently (I must’ve been hungry) as I rediscovered a very old painting in my “archives" also known as “the pile of crap in the back corner” of my studio. It was in sad shape, to say the least. Filthy, dented and a little warped, it was even a bit moldy. Not too long ago, I would have captured an image of it for my digital library and either salvaged the framework to re-stretch later, or burned it in my annual spring painting purge.

But not this time, probably because the subject matter is so meaningful to me. This particular landscape was of my brother and sister-in law’s farmhouse in Jeffersonville, VT. It was winter scene (which only accentuated the accumulated grime) and was a special place that my wife and I loved visiting early in our marriage to cross-country ski, explore the countryside and warm ourselves before the Jøtul wood stove in the front parlor.

At any rate, I was inspired attempt a resuscitation. So, I got out some warm water, clean rags and an old toothbrush and gave it a gentle scrubbing. Most of the dirt came off, but it begged for more. So, onto the easel it returned. Touching up the rough spots was pretty straightforward, but then there were areas that needed more than restoration - tones that weren’t the correct temperature, compositional errors, and the like. Soon, the old potato skin started to look more appetizing - maybe not a four-star dish, but certainly a lot tastier.

Once more, into the Wood

Where Asps Dwell, 2023 - 4.25” x 6” - watercolor on board

Forest scenes continue to call to me, and with it, further abstraction and gestural play. A far cry from the urban landscapes I’ve been producing over the past 20 years, and that’s okay. I’m enjoying the freedom of a new palette, more organic forms and the unexpected. As with anything in life, making art can become rote and predictable. It is human nature to seek the path of least resistance and do the easy thing. It’s comfortable and stressless. But, it doesn’t lead to new discovery and the spark that is so important in life. So, I’ll keep following this new path and see where it takes me - it could be deeper into the tanglewood, or perhaps I’ll come out on the other side and find a new place to play.

Maybe I’ll get lost. Wouldn’t that be amazing?