Tall stacks of Oreos, mountains of donuts and macarons, balloon dogs eating pizza and hot dogs. Not necessarily the first things that come to mind when describing still life art.

Yet for contemporary realist painter Robert C. Jackson, delectable, nostalgic and surprising subjects are often on the menu. Goodbye predictable tabletops, fruit bowls, ho-hum vases of flowers. Hello soda crates, laughing watermelons, vintage toys. Jackson has turned the still life genre on its head and is obviously having a lot of fun doing it.

Jackson (b.1964, Kinston, NC) moved to Delaware with his family when he was about 11. He was always good at drawing, but never thought of art as a profession. Instead, he graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Electrical Engineering. In his senior year, his girlfriend (and future wife) gave him a set of oil paints for Christmas.

Not having the slightest idea what to do with them, he enrolled in an introductory art class and soon discovered how much he loved painting. Although he did consider a masters degree in painting, Electrical Engineering prevailed as the more practical choice.