I might live in a particular environment, or with a particular view from my window for months or years. One day, the light casts a pattern or glow, and then I’m forced to paint a picture. Dividing my time between France and the United States (not to mention raising children), nostalgia is a constant part of life, which then becomes a part of each painting.
Rue Picini, ©2006 Felice Panagrosso, Oil on Canvas
Whether contemplating my final rainy day in Paris (or so I thought at the time)…
Milk, No Cookies!, ©2002, Felice Panagrosso, Oil on Panel
Or an intense desire to hold on to that glass of milk, and the child’s hand that is about reach for it…
Provence Driveway, ©2005 Felice Panagrosso, Oil on Panel
Or a place revisited each year (I hope), that continues on in it’s own life when I’m not there.
These and the following pieces are all rather small, and they were chosen for the show in part because I was able to carry them with me on an airplane (yes, they all fit into a large blue check-in bag). They were on exhibit for the Third Annual Coffee & Tea Expo in New York City on April 25-6. Thanks to Casey Conselmo, from the New York Academy of Art, a group of NYAA Alumni were able to share their paintings and drawings at the expo, including me. Although coffee and tea where not necessarily the required theme for the show, I tried to keep that in mind as I selected these paintings.
"Chocolate Cake" ©2005 Felice Panagrosso
"Strawberry Tarte" ©2002 Felice Panagrosso
"Patio Furniture" ©2002 Felice Panagrosso
"Table Setting" ©2011 Felice Panagrosso
Whatever the size, a painting, to me, is an artifact, an object to keep, remember and take care of, beyond existing as simply an image. They have weight and texture; one can see the touch of the artist, if you get close enough. It is both exciting and frightening to realize that any of my paintings might, if someone cares enough, be here in a couple of hundred years. Something that cannot be said for my Facebook fan page.
