These works behave like portraits of the urban landscape near my former Lower Allston home, depicting daily life and the architectural and domestic mutations that develop over time. A strange but distinct pocket of Boston, this neighborhood was formerly known as Little Cambridge and covered with strawberry fields like those that my mother's family maintained for generations in Tennessee. Inspired by Shaker village drawings & the illustrations of Mitsumasa Anno, I identify with the archetypal modest house, particularly the sort found in New England.
Beginning each painting on site of the current muse, I will typically spend three sessions painting on the side walk, an approach that has become unexpectedly performative. Passers-by now stop to observe & share anecdotes, advice, and even gifts in exchange for conversation. They appear to take pride in contributing to this community-inspired artistic process.
