Brooklyn Cherry Print

This work was inspired by parakeets noisily eating fruit from a cherry tree. It was painted as part of a series during 'lockdown' due to the Covid pandemic where we were forced to live simpler lives, without travel, learning to appreciate the little details in our close surroundings. I hope the viewer will feel the movement and energy of the birds joyfully swooping down on the cherries. Choosing to use oils allowed me to work slowly with numerous glazes over some gestural marks. The palette was inspired by the rich vermillion contrasted with muted neutrals often found in Renaissance art. I added flashes of bright green to represent the parakeets. The work is on a wooden panel. I like this material as it references masters such as Bosch and allows vigorous scratching and sanding to reveal under layers.