ART: Piano In The Background

8”x10” Acrylic on Linen.

For the last 10 years I have only painted on wood panels. A friend of mine, Brandon, gave me a linen stretched canvas that he made as a gift. I had been staring at it for months trying to come up with something to paint on it. As I listened to Duke Ellington the idea came to me.

I named this piece “Piano In The Background” after the Duke album of the same name. I was listening to "Kinda Dukish / Rockin' In Rhythm" when this image popped into my mind. There’s something magical that happens when the horn section starts in at 2:05.

I’m always looking for Los Angeles connections and through lines in my art work. As I researched more I found out that this was recorded 5 blocks from where I lived all through my twenties which felt kismet. This whole album was recorded at Radio Recorders on Santa Monica Boulevard in 1960-1961.

This piece will be included in my solo show, “Filmed on Location”, later this year.