I’ve been going out to local farms for an internship program I coordinate and am always struck by the abundance of food and produce. So this painting has some basis in the concept of fruitful fields.
I also listen to jazz or classical music while I paint and this was conceived while listening to ‘Smile’ by Brad Mehldau from his 2004 ‘Anything Goes’ CD.
Originally written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936 for his film Modern Times, this song has become a popular standard. Mehldau interprets the ‘spiritual breakthrough’ that Chaplin wrote about during the depression, but it’s never sappy or maudlin.
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Fields of Plenty (or Smile), 12″x12″ oil on canvas panel 2009
