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During this entire voyage of mine on the Aegean I had sensed with profundity that the curtain is truly the
picture. Alas for him who tips the curtain in order to see the picture. He will see nothing but chaos.
I remained plunged in solitude’s austere silence for many additional days.
It was spring; I sat beneath the blossoming lemon tree in the courtyard, joyfully turning over in my mind a
poem I had heard at Mount Athos: “Sister Almond Tree, speak to me of God.” And the almond tree blossomed.
Truly, the curtain embroidered with blossoms, birds, and men - this must be God. This world is not His
vestment, as I once believed; it is God himself. Form and essence are identical. Nikos Kazantzakis
picture. Alas for him who tips the curtain in order to see the picture. He will see nothing but chaos.
I remained plunged in solitude’s austere silence for many additional days.
It was spring; I sat beneath the blossoming lemon tree in the courtyard, joyfully turning over in my mind a
poem I had heard at Mount Athos: “Sister Almond Tree, speak to me of God.” And the almond tree blossomed.
Truly, the curtain embroidered with blossoms, birds, and men - this must be God. This world is not His
vestment, as I once believed; it is God himself. Form and essence are identical. Nikos Kazantzakis
I feel you should be able to enjoy an abstract piece up close and from far
away; in dim dark or in bright light (where they are created) forcing dual
perspective; however, natural light often brings out the most intriguing
aspects of each piece exposing extreme color, emotional texture and
striking contrasts. Scraping and scratching with the palette knivez brings
forth the most brilliant and unexpected colorz from all the previous layerz
defining the uniqueness of each piece.
away; in dim dark or in bright light (where they are created) forcing dual
perspective; however, natural light often brings out the most intriguing
aspects of each piece exposing extreme color, emotional texture and
striking contrasts. Scraping and scratching with the palette knivez brings
forth the most brilliant and unexpected colorz from all the previous layerz
defining the uniqueness of each piece.
I am a COLOR
addict & bend
heavily towards a
Fauvist
temperament. The
Fauves purest
passion and joy of
creating inspires
me to push my
work beyond itself
again and again.
addict & bend
heavily towards a
Fauvist
temperament. The
Fauves purest
passion and joy of
creating inspires
me to push my
work beyond itself
again and again.
Classic artistic inspiration continues to be de
Kooning, Gauguin, Cezanne, Picasso,
Francis, Picasso, Soutine, Terlikowsky,
Kokoschaka, Klimt, Matisse, Pollock,,
Modigliani, Nozkowsky, Reed-Garner, Doig,
Neels, Wray, Monet, Rothko, jawlensky,
Maillol, Nugent, Gorky, Kandansky, Henzel,
Fischel, Dumas, all the fauves ....
Kooning, Gauguin, Cezanne, Picasso,
Francis, Picasso, Soutine, Terlikowsky,
Kokoschaka, Klimt, Matisse, Pollock,,
Modigliani, Nozkowsky, Reed-Garner, Doig,
Neels, Wray, Monet, Rothko, jawlensky,
Maillol, Nugent, Gorky, Kandansky, Henzel,
Fischel, Dumas, all the fauves ....
I am driven to create figurative abstract, primitive in nature.
I see the human figure everywhere, in the sky, the earth, fire
and water... Technique and style could be considered to
resemble that of Cezanne, Soutine and de Kooning.
I consider my work to be New or Modern Abstract Exression as
the true artistic strength lies in process and technique which is
passionate and instinctive.
I see the human figure everywhere, in the sky, the earth, fire
and water... Technique and style could be considered to
resemble that of Cezanne, Soutine and de Kooning.
I consider my work to be New or Modern Abstract Exression as
the true artistic strength lies in process and technique which is
passionate and instinctive.
I use high quality oils,
canvas & palette knife
exclusively in
combining heavy
impasto waves,
slashing knifework,
delicate scrolling &
swirling strokes.
Broken glass or old
coins are sometimes
incorporated into my
pieces. I do not use
thinners or drying
mediums as I feel they
dull the colorz & flatten
or glaze out the
texture so most
pieces take several
months to cure.
canvas & palette knife
exclusively in
combining heavy
impasto waves,
slashing knifework,
delicate scrolling &
swirling strokes.
Broken glass or old
coins are sometimes
incorporated into my
pieces. I do not use
thinners or drying
mediums as I feel they
dull the colorz & flatten
or glaze out the
texture so most
pieces take several
months to cure.
Human figures inspire me more than any other subject or genre. Female figures, particularly
torsos or silhouettes provoke subtle, exquisite emotion. The stretch of a neck. The curve of a
spine. Vulnerability and strength in position or gesture. In my eyes, a work of art should have a
meaning which transcends the dimension and materials. It should have an impact on the soul and
not merely the environment.
torsos or silhouettes provoke subtle, exquisite emotion. The stretch of a neck. The curve of a
spine. Vulnerability and strength in position or gesture. In my eyes, a work of art should have a
meaning which transcends the dimension and materials. It should have an impact on the soul and
not merely the environment.
Many of my pieces are accompanied by
poems expressing inspirations or intuitions
felt at the onset of creation or after worx
are complete. They are not intended to
define, only to stimulate the imagination in
view of the paint and expressive
distortions. It is very satisfying to create
something so beautiful and so imperfect in
the same respect.
poems expressing inspirations or intuitions
felt at the onset of creation or after worx
are complete. They are not intended to
define, only to stimulate the imagination in
view of the paint and expressive
distortions. It is very satisfying to create
something so beautiful and so imperfect in
the same respect.
who is zeuxis?
Around 5th century BC, the story was originally told by Cicero
and Pliny the Elder; of the ancient Greek painter Zeuxis, who in
an attempt to portray the perfect beauty of Helen of Troy invited
the most beautiful women in the city of Croton to model for him.
From these he selected five, taking from each their best
physical features to make a composite ideal.
Zeuxis ( Ζεύξις) and Parrhasius, painters of Ephesus in the 5th
century BC, are reported in the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the
Elder to have staged a contest to determine which of the two
was the greater artist. When Zeuxis unveiled his painting of
grapes, they appeared so luscious and inviting that birds flew
down from the sky to peck at them. Zeuxis then asked
Parrhasius to pull aside the curtain from his painting. When it
was discovered that the curtain itself was Parrhasius' painting,
Zeuxis was forced to concede defeat, for while his work had
managed to fool the eyes of birds, Parrhasius had deceived the
eyes of an artist.
Zeuxis most notable works included Helen, Zeus Enthroned, and
The Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpent. He is said to have
laughed to death at one of his own paintings.
Around 5th century BC, the story was originally told by Cicero
and Pliny the Elder; of the ancient Greek painter Zeuxis, who in
an attempt to portray the perfect beauty of Helen of Troy invited
the most beautiful women in the city of Croton to model for him.
From these he selected five, taking from each their best
physical features to make a composite ideal.
Zeuxis ( Ζεύξις) and Parrhasius, painters of Ephesus in the 5th
century BC, are reported in the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the
Elder to have staged a contest to determine which of the two
was the greater artist. When Zeuxis unveiled his painting of
grapes, they appeared so luscious and inviting that birds flew
down from the sky to peck at them. Zeuxis then asked
Parrhasius to pull aside the curtain from his painting. When it
was discovered that the curtain itself was Parrhasius' painting,
Zeuxis was forced to concede defeat, for while his work had
managed to fool the eyes of birds, Parrhasius had deceived the
eyes of an artist.
Zeuxis most notable works included Helen, Zeus Enthroned, and
The Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpent. He is said to have
laughed to death at one of his own paintings.
~ Thank you for your interest in my worx ~ Peace ~ Z
My work is spontaneous, abstract, lushly textured
and untrained. I often rework pieces continuously
over long periods of time; however, some pieces
express themselves immediately forcing me to
stop. I live with them and work them until they "feel"
right. You would often find 5 to 15 reiterations of an
image or different images buried in the canvas or
peering through the final expression. Instinctive
detail, sensuous strokes, distressed space and
dynamic chaos are exposed throughout the canvas
and untrained. I often rework pieces continuously
over long periods of time; however, some pieces
express themselves immediately forcing me to
stop. I live with them and work them until they "feel"
right. You would often find 5 to 15 reiterations of an
image or different images buried in the canvas or
peering through the final expression. Instinctive
detail, sensuous strokes, distressed space and
dynamic chaos are exposed throughout the canvas
new abstract expressionist - virgo major,
true, virago, polymath, palimpsest
obsessed, abstruse subductionist,
heuristic vademecum, simple, optimistic,
prisoner, loved, honest, fauve,
vicissitudinal, analyst, geek, desperately,
hopelessly tangled, certifiably creative,
naive, wise, oils, real, pallete knife,
cadmium red medium, thio violet, cerulean
blue, titanium white, more time, more paint,
more me please ...
true, virago, polymath, palimpsest
obsessed, abstruse subductionist,
heuristic vademecum, simple, optimistic,
prisoner, loved, honest, fauve,
vicissitudinal, analyst, geek, desperately,
hopelessly tangled, certifiably creative,
naive, wise, oils, real, pallete knife,
cadmium red medium, thio violet, cerulean
blue, titanium white, more time, more paint,
more me please ...
in ancient records we are told that Zeuxis, following the initiative of
Apollodorus, had introduced into the art of painting a method of representing
his figures in light and shadow, as opposed to the older method of outline,
with large flat masses of colour for draperies, and other details, such as had
been practised by Polygnotus and others of the great fresco painters. The
new method led to smaller compositions, and often to pictures consisting of
only a single figure, on which it was more easy for the painter to demonstrate
the combined effect of the various means by which he obtained perfect
roundness of form.
Apollodorus, had introduced into the art of painting a method of representing
his figures in light and shadow, as opposed to the older method of outline,
with large flat masses of colour for draperies, and other details, such as had
been practised by Polygnotus and others of the great fresco painters. The
new method led to smaller compositions, and often to pictures consisting of
only a single figure, on which it was more easy for the painter to demonstrate
the combined effect of the various means by which he obtained perfect
roundness of form.
The effect would appear strongly realistic, as compared with the older method, and to this was probably
due the origin of such stories as the contest in which Zeuxis painted a bunch of grapes so like reality that
birds flew towards it, while Parrhasius painted a curtain which even Zeuxis mistook for real. It is perhaps a
variation of this story when we are told (Pliny) that Zeuxis also painted a boy holding grapes towards which
birds flew, the artist remarking that if the boy had been as well painted as the grapes the birds would have
kept at a distance. But, if the method of Zeuxis led him to real roundness of form, to natural colouring, and
to pictures consisting of single figures or nearly so, it was likely to lead him also to search for striking
attitudes or motives, which by the obviousness of their meaning should emulate the plain intelligibility of the
larger compositions of older times. Lucian, in his Zeuxis, speaks of him as carrying this search to a novel and
strange degree, as illustrated in the group of a female Centaur with her young. When the picture was
exhibited, the spectators admired its novelty and overlooked the skill of the painter, to the vexation of
Zeuxis. The pictures of Heracles strangling the serpents to the astonishment of his father and mother (7),
Penelope (1 o), and Menelaus Weeping (11) are quoted as instances in which strong motives naturally
presented themselves to him. But, in spite of the tendency towards realism inherent in the new method of
Zeuxis, he is said to have retained the ideality which had characterized his predecessors. Of all his known
works it would be expected that this quality would have appeared best in his famous picture of Helena, for
this reason, that we cannot conceive any striking or effective incident for him in her career. In addition to
this, however, Quintilian states (Inst. Orat. xii. io, 4) that in respect of robustness of types Zeuxis had
followed Homer, while there is the fact that he had inscribed two verses of the Iliad (iii 156 seq.) under his
figure of Helena. As models for the picture he was allowed the presence of five of the most beautiful
maidens of Croton at his own request, in order that he might be able to "transfer the truth of life to a mute
image." Cicero (De Invent. ii. i, 1) assumed that Zeuxis had found distributed among these five the various
elements that went to make up a figure of ideal beauty. It should not, however, be understood that the
painter had made up his figure by the process of combining the good points of various models, but rather
that he found among those models the points that answered to the ideal Helena in his own mind, and that
he merely required the models to guide and correct himself by during the process of transferring his ideal to
form and colour. This picture also is said to have been exhibited publicly, with the result that Zeuxis made
much profit out of it. By this and other means, 8. Alcmena, possibly another name for 7.
due the origin of such stories as the contest in which Zeuxis painted a bunch of grapes so like reality that
birds flew towards it, while Parrhasius painted a curtain which even Zeuxis mistook for real. It is perhaps a
variation of this story when we are told (Pliny) that Zeuxis also painted a boy holding grapes towards which
birds flew, the artist remarking that if the boy had been as well painted as the grapes the birds would have
kept at a distance. But, if the method of Zeuxis led him to real roundness of form, to natural colouring, and
to pictures consisting of single figures or nearly so, it was likely to lead him also to search for striking
attitudes or motives, which by the obviousness of their meaning should emulate the plain intelligibility of the
larger compositions of older times. Lucian, in his Zeuxis, speaks of him as carrying this search to a novel and
strange degree, as illustrated in the group of a female Centaur with her young. When the picture was
exhibited, the spectators admired its novelty and overlooked the skill of the painter, to the vexation of
Zeuxis. The pictures of Heracles strangling the serpents to the astonishment of his father and mother (7),
Penelope (1 o), and Menelaus Weeping (11) are quoted as instances in which strong motives naturally
presented themselves to him. But, in spite of the tendency towards realism inherent in the new method of
Zeuxis, he is said to have retained the ideality which had characterized his predecessors. Of all his known
works it would be expected that this quality would have appeared best in his famous picture of Helena, for
this reason, that we cannot conceive any striking or effective incident for him in her career. In addition to
this, however, Quintilian states (Inst. Orat. xii. io, 4) that in respect of robustness of types Zeuxis had
followed Homer, while there is the fact that he had inscribed two verses of the Iliad (iii 156 seq.) under his
figure of Helena. As models for the picture he was allowed the presence of five of the most beautiful
maidens of Croton at his own request, in order that he might be able to "transfer the truth of life to a mute
image." Cicero (De Invent. ii. i, 1) assumed that Zeuxis had found distributed among these five the various
elements that went to make up a figure of ideal beauty. It should not, however, be understood that the
painter had made up his figure by the process of combining the good points of various models, but rather
that he found among those models the points that answered to the ideal Helena in his own mind, and that
he merely required the models to guide and correct himself by during the process of transferring his ideal to
form and colour. This picture also is said to have been exhibited publicly, with the result that Zeuxis made
much profit out of it. By this and other means, 8. Alcmena, possibly another name for 7.