Suzanne C. Ouellette
  • Welcome
  • Gallery
    • Still Lifes
    • Portraits
    • Works on Paper
    • Most Recent Works
  • Résumé
    • About the Artist
    • Artist CV
    • Publications
    • Course Descriptions
    • Academic CV
  • Musings
  • Contact

Jeff's Bowl

7/18/2011

2 Comments

 
    Although visitors to the Hammertown Exhibition have responded positively to all the paintings hanging on the walls, it is the painting of the silver bowl with the watermelon radishes that really gets their attention.  The bright pink of the watermelon radishes intrigues them. They ask me what exactly those objects are:  “They look like radishes on the outside but like figs on the inside.”  The reflections on all of the bowl’s surfaces capture them.  They describe being able to imagine the ping they could make if they flicked their fingernail against the side of the bowl.  And then there are the stories people create as they look at the painting.  My favorite one started with:  “And whom did you go off with when you dropped all you were doing, and stopped making the salad you were going to put into the bowl?”

    The bowl that stars in this painting was my father’s bowl.  The International Silver Company gave it to Wildor “Jeff” Ouellette after twenty-five years of service (he went on to work for them for another fifteen years).  My father had wanted to be an artist but life didn’t give him room for his art.  He was one of seven children who grew up in a New England mill town and was sent to work too hard when much too young.  He was an infantry soldier in World War II in the Battle of the Bulge.  He gave his hours, beginning very early in the day, to enable his children whom he loved unconditionally to do better than he had.  Although he did some pretty remarkable projects in our homes, he never had the time needed to do the art he desired.  I am thankful that I can paint his bowl.  I am convinced his generous and romantic spirit helps draw people to the work.

Picture
2 Comments

More Photographs from the Hammertown Reception

7/9/2011

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

On Nature and Painting

7/8/2011

0 Comments

 
"A work of art is a corner of the Creation seen through a temperament."
(Emile Zola, c. 1866)
0 Comments

The Opening Reception at Hammertown Gallery: If the Time Had Been Right for Speeches

7/6/2011

1 Comment

 
1 Comment


    Author
    To learn more about the artist, click here.

    Picture

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    February 2020
    January 2020
    January 2019
    February 2018
    October 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

    Categories

    All
    An Artist
    An Artist's Journal
    Ula's Guest Blogs
    Wonderful Quotations

    join our mailing list
    * indicates required
    Close
DeWelcome to souellette.com © 2010