Slice of Life
The diner is the quintessential metaphor for life, at least for me. If I’m feeling low, for whatever reason. I am immediately fed, nurtured, entertained and informed as to what dirty deals are going on in City Hall.
The diner has its regulars: the lawyers and businessmen who have been breakfasting there for at least a dozen years, it also attracts a cast of street people and colorful local characters.
I often meet my artist friends in the morning before we go to our studios and every few weeks I have Sunday brunch there. We go after the morning church crowd has left and usually sit around for several hours (undisturbed) discussing philosophy, literature and politics over many cups of coffee.
The diner not only provides me a meeting place, it gives me subject matter for my art. I rarely take photographs (although no one seems to notice when I do) but feast my eyes on all the characters in the place, mostly over-abundant women and tired men who’ve had hard lives.
"City Life" diptych, 68"x 88", oil on canvas
This is my large Curley's Diner triptych, I didn't know it was going to be about Curley's until I was well into it. I created the story 'after the fact' based on what had come out of my imagination. The woman in the center is Maria, co-owner of the diner. The man lusting after her is a notorious Albanian house painter, well known for his romantic escapades, but I had no idea they were going to appear until they showed up. I told you; never listen to artists explain their work.
