Watermelon More Art

Artist Comments
Artist John Jaster portrays a fresh display of red and green grapes with a ripe pomegranate placed in a glass bowl. Set above a patterned table cloth, the glass reflects light and vibrant hues of pink that surrounds it. Bunches of grapes nest in the cloth's loose crease reminiscent of tiny bird eggs. The dark background highlights the scene completing the composition.

About the Artist
Artist John Jaster paints in a style he describes as realistic impressions, capturing colorful views of his adventures across the Americas. "People always ask me how I get such deep brilliant colors," says John. "The answer is layers. Since acrylic paint dries mostly transparent, it requires multiple layers of paint to build up to a specific color. With the right lighting that depth of layering is like sunshine glistening through clear water." In college, John felt a pull towards computer science and pursued a career in software architecture. Although the two paths may seem unrelated, John says his work in software strongly influences his artwork in terms of distilling complex systems without losing the magic and wonder. Today, John works from a large home studio with a fireplace, lots of natural light, and jazz playing in the background. Since 2010, John’s paintings have been displayed in over 90 juried exhibitions and published in leading art magazines and books.

Words that describe this painting: grapes, glass, bowl, pomegranate, tablecloth, still life, fruits, cloth, pop, acrylicpaint, pop, still life, acrylic painting, pink

Bowl of Grapes...

Artist Comments
One of the vibrant sights of New York City's Chinatown is the wall of posters. Brightly colored layers overlap and peel away, revealing a dynamic mosaic of colors and images. In the painting, bold characters fading from yellow to orange spell out "BIG DISCOUNT," while the smaller text reads "EXCELLENT QUALITY FOOD."

About the Artist
Artist Leroy Burt paints playful, offbeat landscapes and portraits based on his experiences living in Milwaukee, New York, Costa Rica, and currently Rochester, Minnesota. "I think of my paintings as short stories," he says. As a young child, Leroy faced a number of obstacles. His parents divorced when he was four years old and he was raised by his grandparents in a three-room shack without running water or electricity. Leroy worked hard to pull himself out of poverty. He studied graphic design and painting, which led to a 30-year career in graphic design - five years at WMVS, the PBS television station in Milwaukee, fifteen years at city hall in Milwaukee, and ten years at WNET, the PBS station in New York. In 2015, Leroy retired to focus his energy on painting. Today, he works from a tiny studio filled with half-finished paintings stacked against every wall. "There are photos and sketches for future paintings taped everywhere," says Leroy. "My windows are filled with orchids. There are books, films and music CDs in every corner. And the room is dominated by a black and silver Andy Warhol silkscreen...

Artist Comments
In a dimly lit room, a trumpet rests on a piano keyboard. The overhead light casts a brilliant glow, reflecting off the brass instrument and cutting sharp sha...