Description
There is something about this painting that draws the viewer in and keeps you there. The title is a clue to its mystical power. “Grammy’s Pool, 1986” perfectly captures an idyllic, youthful moment. Grammy’s house is often a utopia in all of our minds. This piece literally paints that nostalgic picture for the viewer. The welcoming pool, lush foliage, rich colors all appear down right dreamy. The painting reflects the times in which it was created with a fantastic Nineteen-Laties aesthetic. The little girl delights in a book as she relaxes by the pool. The richly flourished details illustrate how much the artist adored this space. Each leaf is carefully painted with highlights and shadow. There is love in the details throughout the floral table cloth. If this painting could be characterized in one phrase it would be, “Suburban Gaugin.” The painting style borrows from Gaugin with bright pinks and yellows contrasting against dark greens and blues. Here we see Cloisonnist methods of using broad flat areas of color, with dark outlines… along with the overall flatness of the figure. The innocence of youth represented against a whimsical dreamscape, all very Gaugin. While all those nods to Gaugin exists, “Grammy’s Pool 1986” has a much more optimistic feel than work produced by the beleaguered post-impressionist. The piece is painted on canvas and housed in a gold metal frame. The frame is smooth on the front and textured on the sides. The painting is signed, but the signature is unintelligible.
