The Bishop's Collar, 18" x 20", oil on linen
Jack's Firehouse, 20" x 18", oil on linen
Mugshots Cafe, 18" x 20", oil on linen
Rembrandt's, oil on linen, 18" x 20"This series of four Philadelphia Cafes was commissioned by my good friend and landlord Brian LaMay in generous exchange for a few months' rent. They were completed through a process of drawings and colour studies on the spot, along with some direct work on the canvas for two of the paintings. The hastle of carrying wet paintings on the bus is more than compensated for by the feeling of real connection with the subject.
Two of the paintings were secret presents for Brian's friend Cecelia, who lived in the Art Museum area where these cafes are located. Not for the first time, I was "busted" while painting on the street when Cecelia and her mum thought they would visit Rembrandt's cafe.
