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. 

The Old Mill

It being Mom's birthday today, thought I should post something to her art blog. Shame I haven't posted anything in awhile and now Uncle Bruce has passed on in 2016, so on more person with a memory of mom is gone.

In honor of Uncle Bruce, who loved history, let's post "The Old Mill".  One of Mom's earlier landscape   oils depicting the Old Mill in Saddle Brook, NJ. I believe this mill has been around since the 1700's and supposedly Washington marched his troops by it as they escaped from the battle of Fort Lee on his way to the Delaware River and eventually the battle of Trenton. This painting always seemed to move around our house and I can't remember a time it didn't occupy some wall. I have very fond memories of it and always liked it.

The Old Mill  oil  1970's

The Old Mill detail. It is crude for sure, naive, she is still developing herself as an artist. Mom always worked on her skills and never gave up. Maybe that's why I like this painting. 

detail of the two foot bridges - I like the graphic simplicity 

of these 

detail - Mom always excelled with nature and the foreground 

foliage is definitely the strongest aspect of the painting 

detail - 

still signing Capobianco - placing this painting in the 1970's

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. 

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. 

detail

detail

detail

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.