Lemons out of Balance

Lemon Imbalance. Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 18 inches, 2015 by Sarah Atlee
Click here to purchase Lemon Imbalance.

Let's talk about balance.

It's overrated. It sets us up for false expectations, failure, and guilt. "It's as useful a concept as original sin." (That's from Danielle Laporte.) Actually, we don't really need to talk about balance.

Let's talk about letting go of "balance."

I've shared this Bruce Sterling quote on this blog before, and I'm sure I'll do it many more times. It's from a speech he gave at the Computer Game Developers Conference in March 1991 in San Jose, California. (Read the whole text here.) Behold:

"Don't become a well-rounded person. Well rounded people are smooth and dull. Become a thoroughly spiky person. Grow spikes from every angle. Stick in their throats like a pufferfish."

That's really all the advice you need. Now, let's look at some other artists who have embraced both lemons and asymmetry! Click on any image below to view its source.

Glass and Lemon in a Mirror. Oil and magna on canvas, 1974 by Roy Lichtenstein.

Lemon Peel. Sculpture, 1963 by Sven Lukin.

Half Lemon. Acrylic on canvas, 1969 by Gene Davis.

Lemons. 1972 by Funasaka Yoshisuke.

Lemons, May 16, 1984 by Donald Sultan.

All this imbalance making you feel icky-poo?

Feel like life handed you a couple of lemons? There are options. You can embrace the lemons, or refuse to accept them in the first place.

Lemon Imbalance is available in the Store!

Click here to purchase Lemon Imbalance.

Lemon Imbalance was shown in February 2015 at Ro2 Art in Dallas.

UPDATE: For Real has been reviewed by Jenny Block for The Huffington Post! Read the full review here: "A Hyperrealism That Questions Reality With James Zamora and Sarah Atlee at RO2 Art"

For Real: Sarah Atlee and James Zamora at Ro2 Art, Dallas, Feb 7 - Mar 8 2015

Martini Twist, Indulge, Golden. Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 inches, 2015 by Sarah Atlee

UPDATE: Martini Twist will be heading to a new home after the exhibition is over. Congratulations to its new owner!

UPDATE 2: For Real has been reviewed by Jenny Block for The Huffington Post! Read the full review here: "A Hyperrealism That Questions Reality With James Zamora and Sarah Atlee at RO2 Art"

What: For Real is a two-person exhibition of contemporary realist painting by Sarah Atlee and James Zamora.

When: February 7th through March 8th 2015

Where: Ro2 Art in downtown Dallas, Texas (map link)

Opening Reception: Saturday, February 7th, 7-10 p.m. Free and open to the public, casual dress.

Parking: The parking garage nearest to the gallery is located on North Akard between Elm and Main, next to the CVS. Limited street parking is also available in the neighborhood.

Sriracha. Acrylic on panel, 6 x 6 inches, 2015 by James Zamora

Have you ever looked down at a plate of food and said, "This is too beautiful to eat"?

Me too. That's the moment I capture in my paintings.

I'm lucky to have so much wonderful food in my life. From dry-aged steak to shrimp that came out of the gulf this morning, from juicy organic peaches to more taco trucks than you can twang a steel guitar at. And don't forget a rich, full-bodied red wine, unless a steaming espresso is more your style.

I get to experience these things first hand. But why should I keep it to myself?

My mission is to share these mouth-watering delights with you through exquisitely crafted paintings.

Your plate is my palette. My canvas is a feast for your eyes. Enjoy!

Contact the gallery for more information

Ro2 Art: website, Facebook, Twitter phone: 214.803.9575 email Jordan Roth: jordan@ro2art.com

I hope to see you there!

Bright as Bulbs

Peel. Acrylic on unstretched canvas, 24 x 24 inches by Sarah Atlee

It's citrus season, a time when I'm extra-thankful for living in central Texas. Just yesterday I was given what I think is my first orange with its leaves still attached:

Gosh, maybe I should paint a picture of these.

Holding, peeling, and eating a succulent orange is its own special set of pleasures. Following are some other artists' interpretations of orange - both the fruit and the color.

Vincent Van Gogh. Child with Orange, 1890.

Luis Feito. Untitled (Orange, red and purple).

You know that moment when you first dig your thumbnail into an orange and begin to peel back the skin? When the scent of citrus oil fills your nose and the juice starts running? I think Feito has captured that here.

Fernando Botero. Orange, 1977. Update: Check out Fernando Botero's page on Artsy to learn more.

Johannes Itten. Composition in Orange and Blue-Green, 1957.

Itten's composition above interests me both as a painter and as a quilter.

In a 2010 radio essay you can read here, Paul Marion describes the joy of seeing oranges in the winter:

"Bright as light bulbs on the kitchen table, the oranges promise sunshine as late December daylight shrinks in the shortest days of the year."

Avocado and Shades of Firefly

Avocado: Shades of Firefly. Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches by Sarah Atlee.

You already know about my love for Persea americana. Here is another tribute to this fascinating fruit.

Shades of what now?

When I say "Firefly," I'm not talking about this.

Not now, Mal. I'm working.

Nor am I referring to one of these lovelies:

Photo by Terry Priest. Click image to view source.

I mean this Firefly.

Firefly, from the first generation of My Little Pony toys. Source unknown.

Sometimes, when I put the right pink and the right blue next to eachother, I get a nostalgic flashback to the mid-eighties. I didn't collect all the My Little Pony dolls, and lord knows what happened to them. But I do remember this one. I think so, anyway - I feel like the one I had was a lighter shade of pink with a darker shade of blue...

Color can be funny that way.

See Avocado: Shades of Firefly in Person

Avocado: Shades of Firefly was shown in February 2015 at Ro2 Art in Dallas.

Guests In The Kitchen

Tuna Steaks. Acrylic on unstretched canvas, 30 x 30 inches by Sarah Atlee.

As you might imagine, I take a lot of food photos. A few of them turn into paintings. The piece you see here is from a wonderful meal cooked in someone else's kitchen, where my companion was housesitting.

It's a strange thing to try and find your way around an unfamiliar kitchen - it's that feeling of being slightly off-balance. It's also a great opportunity to compose a food photo using something other than your usual props. In this instance, I had access to a chartreuse cutting board and a very nice chef's knife. Not to mention these beautiful tuna steaks.

My perspective on tuna changed completely after seeing Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a fascinating look into the process of one of the world's great sushi chefs, Jiro Ono. Have a look at this clip to see how the tuna market has changed over the years:

How did our meal turn out? Beautifully! See for yourself:

See Tuna Steaks in Person

Tuna Steaks will be available for purchase in February 2015 at Ro2 Art in Dallas. Join us at For Real featuring Sarah Atlee and James Zamora. Contact Ro2 Art for more details.

UPDATE: For Real has been reviewed by Jenny Block for The Huffington Post! Read the full review here: "A Hyperrealism That Questions Reality With James Zamora and Sarah Atlee at RO2 Art"