Calm Things is the title of my partner Shawna Lemay’s book.  The title comes from the Japanese expression for still life and I have tried to delve into this particular way of referring to objects on a table in my latest series, inspired by her essays. 
 
Light is the focus of all my work.  I like the simple beauty of everyday objects.  They evoke whole worlds and universes when placed upon a table.  The flowers and fruits of still life recur over and over through the history of art because they are life affirming objects of contemplation.  I’m interested in how  we look at a thing, an apple, a swatch of fabric, drapery, or the light on a wood table, now, as compared to, say, how Cezanne painted an apple, or how Dali painted bread, or how Manet painted lilacs, or how Cotan painted a melon.  My paintings seek to intensely look, to understand the nature of seeing, and to record a few of the infinite combinations possible on a table, well lit. 

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