Avocados

An Avocado, 5 inches by 7 inches, December 2011

A Sliced Avocado, 5 inches by 7 inches, December 2011

The challenge of the simplicity of one avocado is amplified when an avocado is sliced open, revealing so many complex shapes and colors. Of course it's always nice to eat them when the paintings are finished. A very limited quantity of these very small paintings are being made available as a special offer, at a price of $300 each. The price includes a dark red contemporary hardwood frame, plus $10 for shipping and handling.

A Sliced Avocado

A Sliced Avocado, 5 inches by 7 inches

Sold! Private collection

It's always exciting to see how much color is unleashed from a sliced avocado. I'm almost a completely different kind of painter when I first block in the colors that describe all the components of this subject.

A Sliced Avocado

A Sliced Avocado, 5" by 7", oil on linen board, November 2008

Private collection, Greenwich, Connecticut

I sliced open an avocado, and found a whole new course of study in a new range of color and texture. For some reason I always feel so humbled by a sliced avocado, something about the crisp edges and distinct shapes.

An Avocado

An Avocado, 5" by 7", oil on linen board, April 2008

Private collection, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Today I carved out a study of a half of an avocado. At one point the study was going to be of an avocado sliced in half, but then I ate half of it. It's funny how that happens. I wonder how many of the great still-life paintings throughout history would have been different if the artist wasn't hungry at the time.