Oranges

Mom painted a lot of still-lifes throughout her life as an artist. None I find as wonderful as these oranges. It might be the simplicity of the subject or the graphic geometry of the oranges. The choice of the orange against that wonderful teal / blue -green background that they just float on, their shadows oddly off just slightly. Or maybe it is because my family has had such a history with fruit - Grandpa Jim selling fruits and vegetables off of a green bus and door to door. Incidentally he lived in West Orange one of the Oranges of New Jersey.  I don't know, I just love these Oranges. 

detail

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still signing "Capobianco" putting this in the early 70's most likey 1974 or 75.

oil on canvas - nice frame too

Wine Bottle and Grapes

Another still-life roughly in the same period as the previous post. Mom is still trying to find her way here it appears. It is as if she had gone back to school which I would imagine she had. Joining the Saddle Brook Art Association and taking many art classes, although I don't exactly know when she did join her "Art Club" as she called it. This is another of those paintings I remember just hanging around in different locations in my early childhood, mainly in the basement near, appropriately, the bar. 

oil on canvas board

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Signature is now just "Capobianco" having dropped the B. This looks like it is the case through 1973 and 74. 

But it is B. Capobianco on the back and kindly dated. 

Early Still Life - Autumn Harvest Basket

I don't seem to have any paintings or drawings of mom's from between her collage years and the painting below. Understandable given her focus on her studies and career in nursing not to mention getting married, taking care of Lisa at my grandfather's house when dad went off to Vietnam and continuing to raise a family through out the 1960's, she didn't have any time to think of herself. It would seem it is only after Chris is born in 1970 that she found the time to begin painting again. If anyone else has any information about her art in the 1960's or about her taking up the brush again please forward on! 

oil on wood panel - ca.1971

I believe this is one of mom's first still life's. Unfortunately it is not dated but it is most certainly after she  was married given that she is now signing "B. Capobianco". Judging from other paintings that are signed similarly I would have to place this painting around 1971.This painting has a certain naiveté. I don't know if she was trying for a more folk art look or a certain style but I like the graphic nature of this piece, very different from the multitudes of fruit and still-lifes to come. This, oil on a panel of wood,  is possibly the first painting we have of hers. I remember it quite well hanging in our kitchen for quite sometime during my childhood. 

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Mom's signature once again changed. Here she has completely abandoned the BmS of here collage days and even the Sisko and her first name for now. She must of been content to completely be identified as a Capobianco at this point. Thankfully mom's continuous struggle to find her identity as an artist allows us to roughly date these paintings.