This series of still lifes began as a way of sitting down with painters I admire—placing their books on my table as both reference and invitation. Each painting is a quiet conversation across time, where objects become stand-ins for presence: a cup, a flower, a piece of fruit, a page left open.

I am drawn to the way artists like Van Gogh and Matisse used color not just to describe the world, but to translate feeling. In these works, I respond to that language through my own marks—loose, searching, and layered—allowing color to lead rather than follow.

The compositions are intentionally crowded and alive, echoing the fullness of influence. The book grounds each painting, a reminder that these works are not copies, but continuations—small moments where past and present meet on the same table.

Ultimately, this series is about closeness: to objects, to color, and to the artists who shape how we see.

Available through River Gallery in Chattanooga