Currier and Ives Master copy 1974

Another painting I remember moving about the house. A 1974 barn, this one inspired by or a master copy of a Currier and Ives painting.  It is a unique piece for my mom in it has a person in it and a lovely cow. It is a very pleasing, serene piece with nice accents and interest to it. 

Copy of Currier and Ives "Country Morning" 1974 oil on canvas

I did a search for "Country Morning" and this is the painting that popped up. Not sure if there is another painting mom copied or if she was inspired by this one and interpreted her own. Her painting is definitely not a "Copy of" this one. But none the less I always felt the Currier & Ives influence on the painting. 

Detail 

Rare sighting of a person in one of mom's paintings ( and a horse )

great cow and even some cool chickens 

details of tree branches

Chris noticed the tree : " I like this tree by the red building.  Is it really windy out, or just the weight of the snow on it, that is making it bend so much?"  Jim :  "I know it is a weird detail. Not sure what the heck is going on there. ( one of the many many questions I would love to ask mom about as I delve deeper into these paintings.)"

wonderfully dated and titled

Sangria

 Another still life,  titled "Sangria", oil on canvas panel dated 1975. This may have been done from a photo, the wall was certainly invented. Our basement in 1975 was pretty together as was much of the house, there were no walls in disrepair. The basement at this time was host to revolving birthday parties, pool games and playing. Although I prefer the more vibrant "Wine Bottle and Grapes" from two years earlier it is interesting to compare the two to see how her ability painting perspective has improved and she is more sure of herself, especially evident in the depiction of the bottles in each painting.

Sangria, Oil 1975

comparison of earlier Wine Bottle and Grapes 1973 and Sangria 1975. 

Mom's technique and style has matured. It is looser and she has gotten more confident. 

detail of signature. 

Completely embracing her married name for now. 

Sangria detail ( back ) 

Nicely labeled ( thanks mom! ) I wonder if this was submitted to art shows and that is why it is well labeled.  

The Green Tree - circa 1973

Yet another little barn done in oil. This too seems older to me than the previous similar painting. Perhaps this is even 1972. It is defiantly in the era of the Covered Bridge. Unfortunately there was no date or signature on this one either. The Green Tree stands out and there is something oddly interesting about the painting's evenly balanced compositions. The dried corn or wheat on the right really destroy the sense of scale. That shape makes the tree and the house so much smaller then I believe mom intended it. 

The Green Tree

The Green Tree detail: Mom always seemed to have fun with these little flourishes and accents. 

The Green Tree detail :  odd little red barn

The Green Tree detail :  The Green Tree ( I titled it ) I really like this tree.  It is just so impressionistic and loose and well, green. 

The Covered Bridge - circa 1973

Mom loved her idealized New England settings. Barns, old 18th century houses, fishing boats and harbors and of course covered bridges. This early oil painting of a Covered Bridge was more then likely from a photograph. It was another painting that hung on the walls of our house. Making its way from the living room to the dining room to the back room. The painting,  unfortunately, is undated and not signed but it looks naive enough to be done during the same period of the New England Fishing Boat of the previous post. Perhaps it even predates The Boat and the posts prior. The perspective and the technique feel less sure then The Little Red Barn and even The Old Mill. 

The Covered Bridge 

The Covered Bridge detail: The painting seems kind of undone but obviously it wasn't since Mom hung it up in the house. I feel it has an Americana folksy quality to it.  

The Covered Bridge detail :  These trees leaves are the most interesting part of the painting. I feel like she loosened up here and had fun with the color. 

The Covered Bridge detail: Closer on the tree and this nice white accent. Again feels undone since she either forgot or never got to adding a reflection for the white dead tree. 

Seascape - oil 1973

Another oil from 1973. A prolific year, Mom must have gotten into a routine with taking care of Lisa, Chris and I, that she found time to take painting classes and to paint. She really jumped into painting oils this year. Probably mom's first seascape, an area she would comeback to a few more times, it being her first it is somewhat developmental: the water having a more solid feel then liquid, except for the foam area (noted below) almost belongs in another painting. The sky is quite nice and you can see she is developing here.

"Seascape" oil on canvas board 1973

detail: this crashing wave lacks the power she develops in some later seascapes

detail:  the foamy surf is actually quite nice, I can feel and hear it. 

detail: signed Capobianco '73, establishing this painting in her early getting back into her painting 

detail: 1973 nicely dated

Early Oil - Little Red Barn

This painting I am guessing predates the previous two posts. It seems cruder in some aspects. The tree in particular seems less realized then the Old Mill or the Red Barn. The colors though are great, the purple hills and the orange tree. There is a story here. You can't help but be drawn to that little red barn. It is a good example of mom's early development as a painter.

Little Red Barn oil 1973

detail: i do like this orange.  

detail: love this little barn though

detail: less thoughtful depiction of trees then later oils

nicely dated and signing 'capobianco' 

Red Barn ( possibly unfinished )

Mom painted a lot of barns. She took a lot of photos of old barns. She really liked old barns. This painting is probably the first barn she painted. It rests squarely in the early to mid 70's period and has a certain simplicity to it unlike her more accomplished water color barns. Perhaps it is too symmetrical  in it's composition but it does have a kind of children's book quality to it.  This too was a painting I remember from my childhood. The painting is unsigned maybe because she wasn't entirely happy with it or it wasn't finished, not sure, but it should be noted mom did sign most of her work it seems unless it was unfinished.

the Red Barn oil 1970's

detail of the grass shows Mom getting more brave with her technique.

detail: here as well - her handling of the foliage is much more effortless then the barn or the fence.

detail of tress : don't seem to fit with the rest of the foliage in painting but have a certain charm all to themselves. 

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

detail

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

detail

detail

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.