TOWHEE & CURRANT IN SPRING
ACRYLICS ON CEDAR W/RED OAK FRAME
SPRING 2020

     One of the smartest things we ever did was to plant two red-flowering currants in our front yard several years ago.  Since then we have enjoyed when the currants bloom in early spring, and they are excellent indicators that the seasons have changed.  Thus, every year at this time, I am inspired to do a painting showing the beauty of these welcome spring flowers.  Since it’s been a year since the last one, each new painting is a fresh interpretation.  I often show the currants with hummingbirds but this time I chose to include one of our favorite birds instead: the spotted towhee.  We really enjoy when towhees come to visit and share their striking coloration.  I was inspired to paint the currant by Japanese Rinpa School artists, and I used a tarashikomi-like effect on the flowers. The design for the towhee was inspired by both Northwest Coast Native and Celtic art traditions.  I made the frame out of red oak using pegged, hand-joined, mortise-and-tenon construction methods.  I used the Japanese technique (shou-sugi-ban) of charring and oiling the oak to finish the frame. 
 
DIMENSIONS:           HEIGHT: 22 inches
                                    WIDTH:  19 inches

                                                          PRICE:  $500


​Gary Giovane
La Conner, WA
[email protected]