Somehow, I stumbled upon the “Will Paint for Food” project that has been happening since 2006 in Providence, RI. The artist providing the work behind this fund-raiser is Shawn Kenney, who creates some captivating food-related paintings. Most of these paintings are very small, usually just 4×6 inches, and are composed of acrylic on panel.
Kenney paints one of these small pieces each day, as a warm-up to more serious work. I find that rate of output amazing, especially since many of these paintings really do capture the essence of their subjects with just a few [... read more ...]
They say that the famous sauce at Bud’s Broiler is some simple ratio of cane syrup and Heinz chili sauce. From what I remember, it sounded plausible, but who knows, really? The original Bud’s Broiler — and the only location that I have ever visited — opened in 1952 on City Park Avenue. I used to stop here after my day shifts at K-Paul’s. Coincidentally, this photo was taken right about that time, in 2004.
Stare at this picture and imagine the potent smell of a charcoal grill in the air. Ah, that’s more like [... read more ...]
Here are some more terrific paintings by Janet Fish, which I scanned from her book. Two very different styles, but both food-related, like much of her work.
Janet Fish, Berio Olive Oil, 1971
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Janet Fish Grapes and Squash Janet Fish, White Squash and Blue Grapes, 1968
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In the context of Napa wineries, the term “cult following” usually conjures up images of those boutique Cabernet producers with outrageously high prices: Harlan, Screaming Eagle, Bryant Family, and all the rest. But another Napa winery has developed a different type of cult following for its unique architectural design. Constructed by Austrian painter and sculptor Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the tasting room at Quixote Winery draws scores of visitors each year (many with little interest in wine) who schedule tasting appointments simply to admire Hundertwasser’s avant garde craftmanship.
Quixote is the vision of long-time Napa vintner Carl Doumani, [... read more ...]
I’ve poached a painting by Alexandre Hogue — titled “Mother Earth Laid Bare” (1938) — for one of my headers. I admire the painting’s symbolic, agrarian themes and its Art Deco influences. Hogue was an American Regionalist who painted images of the Southwest, including many Dust Bowl-era landscapes.
