Talevera and the Garden

 

The summer of 2025, I'm studying the paintings of Rashid Johnson and Tracey Emin at this moment. I'm feeling frustrated by the disparity between what I love so much about their paint-handling and mine.  Can I integrate anything in this new series that inspires me as deeply?

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I'm reviewing what has preoccupied me visually all of these years. The patterns and passions that I've invested my time and energy in consistently over decades are the Talavera pattern and my garden. 

 

So I'm here during the height of summer. I'm immersed in gardening, in the garden I've designed and worked by myself for over 25 years. It’s teeming with pure color.

 

The subject of the garden, like the figure, is challenging. And generally a reduced palette like Johnson's and Emin's is more sophisticated and digestible. 

 

Still, I paint this abundance, primarily with many colors straight out of the tube. And I exaggerate the diverse daisy shapes and sizes to feature my decades-long love for the Talavera pattern.

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