Where the Hearth Is

"Fireplace at Hopper's New York Apartment"
Pen and ink on paper, 1925-30
Edward Hopper

Lately I have been studying drawings by some of the great painters of the past. I have been struck by a recurrent motif--the artist's depiction of his own room, or his own home. In particular, I have been drawn to simple drawings that feature the fireplace hearth, and perhaps a favorite chair nearby. These drawings have such a sense of

Common Ground with Fairfield Porter

"Self Portrait in the Studio"
Oil on Panel, 22 x 16
Fairfield Porter, 1968

Meet Fairfield Porter, a 20th century American painter. I don't know why I had not been very familiar with Porter's work until recently. It's a funny thing--often when I am drawn to a painter, and delve deeper into his work, I discover that he or she was influenced by some of my other favorite artists. It goes to show that