Collaborations with Collectors

The small sampling of works featured on this page were—strictly speaking—commissions, but my collectors have always granted me such a great degree of artistic freedom that I've often thought of them as exciting, rewarding collaborations; the fruits of in-depth conversations, working with the collector's prompts of theme and subject matter

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Indecision The right panel of "Indecision" was painted as a stand-alone work, and it was purchased by collector who proposed pairing it with a female nude to create a diptych—I loved the idea (why didn’t I think of it myself?) and happily obliged	The Idea (Self-Portrait) I had had no previous contact with this collector when he wrote me in early 2021 to tell me he had been a fan of my self-portraits for many years, and he offered me the opportunity to paint one for his collection, on a somewhat larger scale than I usually might... his only request was that it be a self-portrait that spoke of where I found myself in 2021, my Covid-era state of mind and physical appearance (note the long hair), and my then-current preferred techniques and aesthetic	T.C. in the Barn T is a long-time collector of my work (since at least 2006) who owns many of my grisaille drawings (among other works), and he asked to be drawn by me... I loved the result, I think it's one of my more sensitive, evocative drawings	The Bird Family's Reunion Like me, my long-time collector Mark shares his home with parrots; this composition was worked out with the aid of photographs of his brood, past and present, and many stories shared of their individual personalities… I struggled with the composition for a time, until I hit upon the idea of giving it a kind of “Toy Story” vibe—when the humans are away, the birds come out to play	Bob Dylan, Painter I’m a Bob Dylan fan myself (who isn’t?) but would have been unlikely to have conceived of a Dylan tribute, left to my own devices… this piece is a perfect example of what I mean when I say that my commissioned works are really collaborations. The collector owns a great many of my works, and also collects Bob Dylan’s art… it’s always fun to see my work and Dylan’s hanging side-by-side in his home	The Collector at Home This portrait depicts my long-time collector John, who cherishes his Victorian-era home (I once painted the exterior of the house for him, too) stuffed with his vast, eclectic collection of paintings and art objects of all kinds; John is seen here in this dramatic composition ascending his grand staircase to find the perfect piece from his collection to fit a newly discovered and acquired vintage frame, while his constant, loving companion Josie looks on from the foot of the stairs	The Corner My “Museum Series” paintings, like all of my work, have been painted on a relatively intimate scale, rarely exceeding 16 by 20 inches… a very fine, supportive and encouraging collector approached me with a proposal that I might create a composition on a much larger scale, and “The Corner” was the result at 24 by 36 inches… other than that it might be centered on Picasso’s “Guernica” and the larger scale, the collector asked for few specifics
Keath and Homer This is a favorite portrait commission, and one I was honored to be asked to paint—Homer was in his early nineties, a proud WW2 veteran, and unfortunately very ill when I was painting this picture, but he was able to see the completed work in person before he passed away. I was told that he liked it very much, particularly my treatment of the sky, that might call to mind a glorious American flag, the flag he so proudly defended	Hide and Seek (for Keith Haring) Sometimes, a collector will approach me to do a commissioned variant of an existing work of mine they’ve admired, as in this case (the first version was painted in 2013); if I feel I can add something new—rather than merely replicating the original—in a way that moves my work forward, I’ll agree. I made many changes in this version of “Hide and Seek”… I love both versions and I feel they can happily coexist, each makes the other more interesting	Don't be Afraid Maybe my all-time favorite commission—a portrait of a collector of my work who became a dear friend, the late Doris David, and her husband Elliot, who predeceased her. A kind of still-life featuring various elements that symbolize their long, happy marriage, the work owes something to the aesthetic of my "Museum Series”, Doris’s favorites. Doris shared with me that she sometimes felt her late husband’s presence, and this is such a moment… Doris glimpses him comforting her in the mirror	What a Piece of Work is a Man! This piece was a true 50/50 collaboration… my long-time collector Michael, who I’ve had a wonderfully rewarding working relationship with, had been discussing commissioning one of my paintings on a palette for some time… eventually he proposed a composition including the angel (after British painter Solomon Joseph Solomon [1860–1927]), the “Blue Marble” image of the Earth, and an inscripton from Hamlet… I was excited by the challenge and happily set about to bring Michael’s vision to life	Narcissus This collector’s encyclopedic knowledge of art history and design vastly exceeds my own, and I’ve often consulted him for insights and advice… among his vast collection of art objects are many fine antique frames, and on several occasions he’s asked me to paint a master study to compliment a favorite… I think of myself as a lifelong student, and I’ve never ‘grown out’ of the practice of making master studies, I love to make them… this is a study after a 1881 work by Gyula Benczúr	Still-Life with Acoma Pottery Combining a blanket with an Acoma motif and Acoma pottery from my long-time collector and friend David’s collection, along with a framed photograph of nudes emblazoned with with body paint, in a still-life composition was the fascinating challenge David presented to me… I strived to create an all-over compositional pattern, enriched by careful attention to subtle variations of color and texture… the ‘photograph’ is my invention, adapted from a 19th century photograph by Wilhelm Von Gloeden	Keep Calm The painting “Keep Calm” wasn’t commissioned, but after it was purchased from my website the collector commissioned me to make the frame, giving me free rein to expand upon the work rather than merely ‘framing’ it… I built a float-style frame, designed the repeating motif that echoes the graffiti figures on the subway car, and hand-painted it with faux gilding… the result is simultaneously contemporary and ‘old world’, I think, and it’s one of my favorites
The Wonderer My friend and collector Clay, who sadly passed away in 2022 after a brief illness, loved the ‘universe’ of my Tub Series paintings and wanted to see himself within that universe, so he proposed that he would be the model for this commissioned painting… Clay lived thousands of miles away from my studio in Maine, so he hired a professional photographer to provide me with a variety of poses to select from, with the dramatic lighting I prefer… the result might be my favorite of the Tubs	Remembering Depicting my collector’s mother Jetty, who was being lovingly cared for by her son in his home in her final years, “Remembering” is a painting that I’m particularly proud of, and It’s easily one of my top-ten favorites among my works… Jetty was battling Alzheimer’s and struggling to remember and function, and some days were better than others—the painting depicts a moment of recognition, a flash of insight. Jetty was an artist herself, and the little brush I put in her pocket is a tribute that	OWOOO! “OWOOO!” was based on a 2015 watercolor (long sold) of mine that the collector fell in love with, which in turn was based on an early 20th century photograph by Lewis Hine (sans Caspar and the Wicked Witch, of course)… it was proposed that I develop the composition into a fully resolved painting on panel, with a unique, hand-painted, specially constructed “float” frame made just for it—the collector’s treasured African Grey parrot, Max, insisted on making an appearance, and I happily obliged	Kristen This was a unique, very special honor: my cousin David asked me to commemorate his beloved wife Kris’s all too short life in a portrait… Kris tragically passed away in early 2024 at only 56, after courageously battling a brief illness. The hands in the foreground are David’s, and he posed for them remotely; the rest of the composition was invented by me, using photographic reference to achieve a likeness… every detail of the composition is infused with symbolic significance