Promise in the Maelstrom

Promise. 16" x 16", acrylic on cradled wood panel.

I thought it might be a good time to share this painting called Promise. It will be in an exhibit in Watertown, MA, beginning later this month, but also, we could all use a little perspective right now as we enter a challenging year that is also full of possibility. This painting touches on that perspective a little. I'll tell you about its method in a minute, but first, Promise was created from thoughts about land and the generations of people who have lived somewhere before us, as well as the generations of people who will live in that place long after us. I haven't anything more profound to say than thinking about this helps me realize just where we are in the bigger picture.

At the time I made this painting, I was exploring this theme in several other paintings, as well, including the one below, called Like Others Before Us. Here, someone's roots have clearly been put down. For the curious among us it begs the question, "whose roots?" ​

Like Others Before Me. 24" x 24", acrylic on cradled wood panel. (Destroyed in house/studoi fire)

Both of these paintings were created on something called Claybord, which has a hard clay surface. The hard clay allows you to scrape into your paintings more easily (sgraffito), delving down to earlier layers. It allowed me to delineate the slopes and then sand back the blue sky to allow the golden light to come through. It's a process I hope to explore again in the future.
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Meanwhile, I'm excited to share that Promise was juried into the Contemporary Landscapes exhibit at Mosesian Arts in Watertown, MA, January 23—March 6, 2026. If you're in the area I hope you'll get to see what is sure to be a beautiful exhibit. Even better, come to the Opening Reception on Thursday, Jan. 29! I do plan on being there. Here's the information: