visual art

ginny p. worsley: winsome, warm and welcoming

~ jama ~ 4 Comments

Why, hello! You’re just in time for Sunday Brunch. Take a seat and help yourself to pancakes and milk. Thanks to Ginny P. Worsley’s charming painting, everyone’s welcome to linger for a leisurely meal and friendly conversation.

This piece immediately caught my eye as it speaks to my love of naive art and my special interest in interiors (especially kitchens and dining rooms). If there’s a table set with cute crockery, or vintage textiles and furnishings in a cozy room, I’m all in. I like the calm and comfort of quiet, domestic spaces and appreciate the joys of common experiences depicted with just the right touch of nostalgia.

Tennessee artist Ginny P. Worsley in her home studio.

Imagine my delight when discovering that “Pancakes and Milk” wasn’t a stand alone painting, but a piece from Worsley’s Sunday Brunch Collection! Whether “Cereal & Bananas,” “Oatmeal & Honey,” or “Toast & Tea,” I could just imagine myself stepping into each scene and becoming part of the story. Yes, I have a weakness for floral wallpaper. 🙂

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feasting on noah verrier’s food paintings

~ jama ~ 7 Comments

“For me every painting is like a prayer to God, I can be still, look closely, and interpret the colors, shapes, and emotion before me.” ~ Noah Verrier

Hungry? If you’re craving a little comfort food, whether fast or slow, you’ve come to the right place. Florida artist Noah Verrier’s realistic depictions of classic favorites hit the spot every time.

Feasting on one of Verrier’s mouthwatering, calorie-free still lifes comes with an added benefit: zero guilt. So go ahead and lick off that cupcake frosting to your heart’s content, polish off a syrupy stack of fluffy pancakes, or wolf down a cheesy Big Mac with fries. You’ll feel satisfied and have fun doing it.

Though now based in Tallahassee, Verrier was born in Salem, Oregon, and moved to Florida with his parents when he was six. He loved art as a child and began drawing and painting in watercolors by the age of ten in order to emulate what he saw.

photo of Noah Verrier in his studio by Chasity Maynard/Tallahassee Democrat.

He was fully immersed in art in high school, inspired by Impressionism. Van Gogh and Monet were big influences. He then studied art at Florida State University, taking an interest in 19th century painters Manet, Sargent and Sorolla, as well as 20th century artist Wayne Thiebaud, admiring them for their realistic imagery and brush stroke styles. He also taught painting at FSU, first as a graduate student and then as a professor after earning his MFA. In 2017, he took a leap of faith and quit teaching to become a full-time artist.

Noah specializes in oils and always paints from real-life subjects. He typically begins by sketching an image, then setting up a composition in his home studio. He uses a wet-on-wet painting technique, also known as alla prima painting. This allows him to apply a layer of wet paint on top of another wet layer, all in one setting. Using unique brush strokes and blends of color, he’s able to complete a painting in one day.

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Robert C. Jackson’s Whimsical World

~ jama ~ 15 Comments

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.

Bob Jackson in his Kennett Square studio.

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.

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robin pieterse’s dreamy world

~ jama ~ 5 Comments

Dutch artist and pattern designer Robin Pieterse’s lovely paintings provide a welcome respite from the busyness and stresses of modern life. Inspired by nature, the changing of the seasons and childhood nostalgia, her depictions of people spending time together — whether indoors or out — are calming and restorative.

Robin Pieterse lives in the Netherlands with her husband, son, daughter, and dog Winifred.

Based in Zutphen in the Netherlands, Robin (b. 1999) comes from a “wildly creative family,” where “everyone was always working on something beautiful.” She can’t remember a time when she wasn’t drawing and loving it. Her mother is a landscape painter and art teacher; Robin says it is scary “how much of a copy of her I am.”

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karen fields: of color, canines, and coastlines

~ jama ~ 4 Comments

Ruff ruff! The sun’s out and the water’s fine. Let’s dip into some of Karen Fields’s happy-making paintings.

Based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, Karen’s been interested in art since childhood. When she was little, she’d watch her dad at his drafting table in his attic studio. When he wasn’t looking, she’d use his shape templates to create drawings of her own.

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