Kris Landt in Her World   acrylic on canvas 36″x36″

I love painting people, and as a figurative artist people and the human figure inspire me more than any other subject. Artists often come upon someone so unusually inspiring or exciting or interesting or beautiful (or all of these, such as in my case) that they become kind of obsessed with studying them. An artist seeks a muse–a powerful catalyst stirring passion and creative momentum. 

This is what I have found in Kris Landt (Dr Kris Landt), formerly Mazur. I have known her since I was 13 going on 14. She is brilliant, beautiful and capable of excellence in anything she endeavors. She inspired me from youthful days when we would create together, but whatever she made was always so much better than whatever I made, so much so that I was petulant once and demanded to keep a wire and cloth flower she had created. I just had to have it.

Now she has stirred that kind of inspiration in me again, in part due to the complete creative freedom and expression she allows those in her circle (most importantly her talented musician sons, Nick and Rory, who have successful a band, Landt). She commissioned me to paint something for her, although I had already been painting her–she is statuesque and has a quality that is hard not to want to capture in paint. I just had to paint her.

So, this is part one of what will be a diptych, basically. This is Kristyna in her world of wonderment, with her sons (and I didn’t know they once raised box turtles!) and her little dogs, her culinary magic at play. I can’t wait to paint part 2. The painting includes cookbook imagery from the 1960s since she used to get in trouble reading cookbooks under the covers past bedtime!  I am so enthralled by the new work I’m generating because of Kris’ spirit and essence.

(And the following new still life pieces are born out of my painting of Kris) 

Still Life with Radishes acrylic on panel 8″x10″

Still Life with Peaches acrylic on panel 8″x10″

Still Life with Grapefruit  acrylic on canvas 11″x14″