As you can imagine, over the years I have amassed quite a collection of antiques, toys, and general curiosities. I might respond to interesting color combinations, or unusual shapes, or differences of size and scale. I may sit with them for a year or more before figuring out exactly what I want to do with them. But once I do, that’s when the fun (for me, at least) begins! Pulling together an assortment of things that might not normally go together – toys, tools, balloons, pencils, even extension cords – allows me to have a literal rationale for moving color around the canvas (as if I needed one)!

When I finally returned to painting in 2010 after my nearly 20-year hiatus, all of these collected curiosities became ideal subjects for my still life paintings. Augmenting my collection of highly unusual industrial items with a trove of tin toys, croquet and billiard balls, and colorful balloons continues to provide me with an endless source of inspiration and discovery. And it’s a continuous reminder of the beauty and simplicity to be found in the everyday objects of the pre-digital era. 

The green toy truck is actually one of my wife’s flea market finds, as is the yellow biplane. The use of an orange floodlight adds shadows, depth and drama to the arrangement, while heightening color around the composition. The suspended floodlight bulb attracts the eye, while reinforcing the illusion of depth. Completed in 2026, this piece is oil on linen, 36"h x 48"w, and is framed.