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Daniel Alan Gordon
"Calling Upon
our Better Angels"
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"A Ring of Wildflowers"
16" x 16" x 1"
Oil Paint on Canvas
The vibrancy of the yellow carries this painting. The sphere could be the sun or the moon and provides a perfect piece of composition to carry the energy of the flowers. The square painting surface is also a key element in lay-out and artistic choices I develop here.
"A Sky for Lavinia"
As a painter and a craftsman, I am always seeking new ways to combine my current work with my experience in fine furniture making. These artful boxes have allowed me to combine my skill sets to present my paintings in a stand-alone form. This allows the viewer to live with and experience the art in a new way; perhaps truly marrying inspired design and function.
8.5" x 8.5" x 2.75"
Walnut with Oil Paint on Hardboard
Lavinia was drawn to the underpainting of this piece when I started work on it. As she often will do, she gently pushed me to further articulate what I was truly trying to say. And as is often the case, it took some work, but I eventually got there. The piece pulls together so much energy and love I have for her and the skies of Cape Cod.
"Basswood Bronze Flowers"
19.5” x 8” x 1.25"
Carving on Basswood
Over the years, I have found the three flower motifs to be a great starting point for a new composition. In this piece, I wanted the flowers to be surrounded by flowing lines that could evoke nature’s energy. This piece is carved from one block of basswood lumber. I create the design in a progression of drawings on vellum and then transfer that drawing to the block; making any adjustments to the design if the wood I am carving “calls” for it.
For the next step, I use a series of traditional carving tools to bring the piece to life by cutting and sculpting the design. Next, I roll ink onto the block and transfer that design onto paper by passing the block through my press. The result was a beautiful and worn patina of its own making.
"Berkshires"
As a painter and a craftsman, I am always seeking new ways to combine my current work with my experience in fine furniture making. These artful boxes have allowed me to combine my skill sets to present my paintings in a stand-alone form. This allows the viewer to live with and experience the art in a new way; perhaps truly marrying inspired design and function.
10.75" x 8.75" x 2.75"
Walnut with Oil Paint on Hardboard
This painting is inspired by a roadside view of the hills and valleys of the Berkshires, in particular the area around Williamstown, MA. Lavinia and I made a trip to the Clark Museum last Spring and I took a roadside photo on our way back home that day. This piece grows out of that shot. An inspiring day on multiple levels.
"Berkeley Heights Wildflowers"
7” x 25.5”
Oil Paint on Multimedia Board with Italian Book Cloth Gilded with Dutch Metal
The flowers for this triptych were painted in the winter. So much of the piece is about the movement in the flowers. I envisioned them responding to the sun above them and blowing in the wind. The balance of the three panels was important to me. And I gilded the background to bring out their glow.
"Blackfish Creek, MA - Cape Cod"
18” x 18” x 2"
Oil Paint on Clayboard
Lavinia and I spent two summers on Blackfish Creek in Wellfleet, MA. I found it to be an inspiring location. The greens and browns illuminated by the sun inspired this artistic response. This painting began within a day of arriving, and I love that it allowed me to hold on to the feeling of that special place and that I can share that feeling with the viewer. The rustic cabin we stayed in there has housed other oil painters through the years-definitely an inspiring spot.
"Boat Meadow Beach Sunset"
As a painter and a craftsman, I am always seeking new ways to combine my current work with my experience in fine furniture making. These artful boxes have allowed me to combine my skill sets to present my paintings in a stand-alone form. This allows the viewer to live with and experience the art in a new way; perhaps truly marrying inspired design and function.
10.75" x 8.75" x 2.75"
Cherry Box with Oil Paint on Hardboard
This is a small beach on the bay in Eastham, MA. It is the beach closest to the house we stay at while in Eastham. When we want to catch the sunset but are racing against the natural timetable for such things, we shoot over to Boat Meadow. The way the inlet here lets out to the bay creates such memorable and gorgeous natural compositions.
"Brace Yourself"
15" x 12" x 12"
Oil Paint and Marquetry on Canvas
Along with "A Mixed Media Toolbox (There's a Tool for That)" and "The Moon, a Coffeepot and Small Table": These three pieces represent an evolution in my mixed media work. I combine my love of marquetry and oil painting to bring the compositions to life. The biggest challenge with mixed media work is finding an effective balance between material and composition. I never want to insert a medium because I have some technical ability with it. Rather, I want to use the varied mediums to convey thoughts and feelings that are difficult to express without both.
"Brussels Flower Shop"
31.5” x 41.5” x 2.5”
Oil Paint on Hardboard
This painting is an overt homage to the design periods of Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts. The whiplash curves of the flower stems are a key element from the Nouveau period. I am using that shape here to create movement. The background colors are many layers, giving the richness of texture that I wanted to frame each of the brighter flowers. My intent here was for the background, coupled with the tight curves of the stems, and the bright and deep colors of the flowers, to come together like a favorite song.
"Calling Upon our Better Angels"
34” x 42” x 2"
Oil Paint on Canvas
The show is named after this painting, the title inspired by Abraham Lincoln's first Inaugural Address. Its message came to me in an unexpected wave of inspiration one morning. I was able to sketch the entire composition in one session-it was all quite clear in my head and hand almost immediately. I had not realized Lincoln’s message was so much in the forefront of my thoughts until the composition spilled out. Likewise, I am fairly certain it is a sentiment that many of us can relate to at this tenuous point in world affairs.
"Cherry Blossom"
20.5” x 31” x 1.5"
Oil Paint on Aluminum Board
I am drawn to Japanese art and its traditions surrounding craft. This piece pays homage to Japanese design, as seen by placing the cherry blossom branch in the foreground of the landscape. A theme I return too often. I employ the printmaking techniques I used in the painting, “Magic” here as well. One of my favorite features of this piece is the Tiffany-like blue that makes up the sky.
"East Hampton, Anticipation of the Surf"
18” x 21” x 1.25"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
I have always been enamored with that moment when you are near the ocean, sometimes in a car or while walking, when your vantage point to the surf and the beach are obscured, but then you get a glimpse of the water. Sometimes the road is high enough that as you look through the car window you get the full impact of seeing the vast ocean up ahead. Sometimes you are just walking the path to the beach, and you get more framed views through the high seagrass and catch a glimpse of the water. Either way, it is always exciting and grows anticipation of getting close to the power and innate attraction of the water. This piece’s composition is all about that feeling.
"Escaping to the Beach"
12.5” x 17" x 1.5"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
I had a chance to spend some time at a very southern point of the Jersey Shore last summer. I think this painting the feeling of that part of the shore, as well as the time of day. It inspired and pushed my palette in subtle ways. I had to work to not "tinker" too much with the painting upon returning home. Now, I am grateful that I did leave the colors and composition as it was when I originally painted it while gazing out at the beach. I think its vitality comes from that very direct take on the scene.
"Family Tree"
20” x 13” x 2"
Carving on Basswood
This piece gets its title from the obvious tree reference. Upon finishing the initial carving of this block, both my children spent a day in the shop with me, and we produced woodcut prints from it. A true family affair in the way of creating; the best kind of day as far as their father is concerned.
The shift of mediums to carving from painting for this tree shows some of my intent from a different angle. The successive rows of grooved cuts I make in the block for the piece’s foreground and sky bring the motion and energy for this design.
"Flowers Against the Blues"
21" x 15" x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
This painting is a cousin to the painting “Why I Paint Flowers.” I continue to work on the floral motif by adding movement, abstraction and vibrant colors. I am particularly pleased at the vibrancy of the blue and the compliment of the yellow and gold.
"For the Love of Flowers"
14" x 14" x 1"
Oil Paint on Multi-Media Board
In this painting I experimented with color, movement and background lighting. The mixing of shape and color is a theme that I returned to throughout the show. Another key element of these floral pieces is setting them against a square painting surface. It inspired new turns in the expression of the flowers.
"For the Love of Music Makers"
25" x 19" x 1"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
This painting grows out of my deep love of all kinds of music. As a shop teacher, I was involved with the building of various musical instruments. Now through the medium of oil paint I am able to express that musical connection in a new and personal way.
"French Oil Colors in Flower Form"
9" x 9" x 2"
Oil Paint on Multi-Media Board
The colors that I mixed for this little painting informed several paintings that came thereafter. I love how some paintings often evolve into something much more. My sister-in-law Olivia was taken with this piece, and that inspired me to create additional florals with this palette as a springboard.
"From Montauk to Montclair"
14” x 17” x 1.25"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
Last year, I began this painting while spending a few days in East Hampton, Long Island. I was intrigued by the various terrain I saw out there. The area is beautiful and filled with vineyards, farms, etc. I continued to work on the piece when I returned home. Another key influence to guide the work was when Lavinia and I made a trip to the Clark Museum in the Berkshires. While there, we saw multiple works by the 19th century painter, George Inness. As I explored and learned more about Inness’ work and process, I felt a kinship to him and his overall approach. He lived in Montclair, NJ for the last 9 years of his life and the Montclair Art Museum has many of his works as well. His ideas about landscape painting and the place of the spiritual in such works really resonated with me.
"I Arrived Today"
30" x 20” x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard, Silver Leaf, and Hardware
This piece embodies many of the ambitions I establish as I begin any of my works. Combining the human figure with a painted and textured background has been a technique that has intrigued me for years. Such traditions go back to the work of Gustav Klimt. The cutting of a cabinet into the surface of the painting has roots in my furniture making background, but the key motivating factor in creating it was the idea of being able to go inside the painting, both literally and figuratively. This piece resonated with me so that it inspired me to write a poem to accompany it: appropriately enough, it resides in the piece's cabinet.
"It's the 4th of July, Sea Girt, NJ"
16" x 10.5" x 2"
Oil Paint on Canvas Board
This painting was a study for a commission. Sea Girt is a location on the Jersey Shore that I had not had the opportunity to see before. What a beautiful spot! I am grateful I had the chance to visit this inspiring place several times this year as I worked on the commission.
"LBI, Surf City Sunset"
12" x 28" x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
This piece was a study for the largest pieces and commission that I have done to date. The final commission consisted of three panels, each measuring four feet by three feet. I was gratified by the result of the study and eventual paintings in how they captured the movement, energy and beauty of the sun setting over the bay.
"Lieutenant Island, Cape Cod, 2022"
6” x 25.5”
Oil Paint on MultiMedia Board Bound with Italian Fabric and Gilded with White Gold
Lavinia and I discovered Lieutenant Island when we were on Cape Cod this summer. The beach here is vast and the vantage point to take in the bay was new to us. The openness was filled with deep blues, white sand and green and gold beach grass. These paintings were inspired by that beautiful day.
"Loveladies, LBI in Late November"
17" x 21" x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
Last fall my family and I spent time at the Jersey shore. I had the opportunity to visit the beach at Loveladies, LBI. I sat on the same bench over multiple afternoons and was inspired to create this painting. The grays, blues and whites of the November sky lent an air of contemplation that was very therapeutic.
"Lovely Aged Wallpaper I"
31" x 16” x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
I am doing a great deal of work with compositions that stretch over multiple canvases or in my case multiple painting boards. I resurrected two painting panels for this piece that previously sat vertically. Furthermore, I sanded them, but left remnants of the original works to bleed through, further creating the windowed effect. I also employed the rectangular lines to further define and highlight the under layers. The original paintings’ colors and line action were indispensable to creating the windowed effect I was after. These works are a reminder to me just how long it takes and how very many coats of paint are used to create a truly exceptional painting.
"Lovely Aged Wallpaper II"
31" x 16” x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
"Mid-Century Marquetry"
14" x 9" x 3"
Mid-Century Marquetry
I upended my more customary method of design for marquetry projects to produce the design that adorns this box. The motif is achieved through the cutting and recutting of each element that makes up the whole design. This segmented approach produces a very unique effect, one challenging to produce in marquetry. This is a very time consuming process, but produces a finished piece that is truly linked to the way I might produce such a design in oil paint. The challenge to think through my mediums in this way is very valuable to me.
"Mixed Media Toolbox (There's a Hand Tool for That)"
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15" x 12" x 2"
Oil Paint, Marquetry on Canvas
Along with "The Moon, a Coffeepot and Small Table" and "Brace Yourself": These three pieces represent an evolution in my mixed media work. I combine my love of marquetry and oil painting to bring the compositions to life. The biggest challenge with mixed media work is finding an effective balance between material and composition. I never want to insert a medium because I have some technical ability with it. Rather, I want to use the varied mediums to convey thoughts and feelings that are difficult to express without both.
"The Moon, a Coffee Pot, and a Small Table"
15" x 12" x 2"
Oil Paint with Marquetry on Canvas
Along with "A Mixed Media Toolbox (There's a Tool for That)" and "Brace Yourself": These three pieces represent an evolution in my mixed media work. I combine my love of marquetry and oil painting to bring the compositions to life. The biggest challenge with mixed media work is finding an effective balance between material and composition. I never want to insert a medium because I have some technical ability with it. Rather, I want to use the varied mediums to convey thoughts and feelings that are difficult to express without both.
"My Beach House Window Left"
17" x 13" x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
Recently I completed a commission inspired by the Jersey shore. Its creative challenge was to view the beach and seascape looking both to the left and right and to capture the energy of the midday sun, the surf and sand. The double panels allow me to play with the idea of splitting my view of the seascape, as though I am looking through a window. I also worked with the idea of one view that is split but also has a bit of mirroring that interplays between each painting.
"My Beach House Window Right"
17" x 13" x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
"Out on the Lake at Dusk, Greenwood, ME"
8" x 13" x 1"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
Our friends who live in a beautiful spot in Maine sent me a photo from a favorite lake that they spend many a sunset on. This painting is a direct response to receiving that very inspired photo. Recently I had the opportunity to see the lake and sunset in person and indeed it was spectacular.
"Path Leading Back to Fort Hill, Cape Cod"
As a painter and a craftsman, I am always seeking new ways to combine my current work with my experience in fine furniture making. These artful boxes have allowed me to combine my skill sets to present my paintings in a stand-alone form. This allows the viewer to live with and experience the art in a new way; perhaps truly marrying inspired design and function.
8.5" x 8.5" x 2.75"
Walnut Box with Oil Paint on Hardboard
The marshes meet the ocean at Fort Hill. The elevated paths wind through the woods which allows you to take in the views. It is such a quietly majestic spot.
"Revisiting Sunset at Rock Harbor"
As a painter and a craftsman, I am always seeking new ways to combine my current work with my experience in fine furniture making. These artful boxes have allowed me to combine my skill sets to present my paintings in a stand-alone form. This allows the viewer to live with and experience the art in a new way; perhaps truly marrying inspired design and function.
10.75" x 8.75" x 2.75"
Cherry Box with Oil Paint on Hardboard
Another wonderful spot near our typical haunts while on the Cape. Rock Harbor is a true touchstone of our time on the Cape. We spent time there with the kids when they were so young and continue to do so now. It is a unique spot to see the bay and the boats coming and going from their daily fishing trips.
"The Sadies"
24” x 30” x 2”
Oil Paint on Hardboard
I have always been intrigued by combining my love of music with work in the visual arts. With two friends, I attended a Sadies concert about 4-5 years ago. I created the painting from that memorable night. I had trouble finishing the painting, but this past year Dallas Good, one of the key and founding members of the band, passed away. For this reason, among a few others, it felt right to revisit this piece.
"Simsbury III"
13" x 25" x 1"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
Every year I do a painting of my hometown in Simsbury, CT. Each time, I try to capture the parts of town that my family and I loved best. The rolling hills and mountains, plus the remaining farms in that area, are beautiful. I feel this piece is particularly notable for the “softness” of shading and blending of the oil paint. I wanted it to evoke the prominence of landscape features for such a composition, but I also wanted the viewer to feel the full scope of being in a spot like Simsbury.
"Study in Red II"
24” x 26.5" x 2"
Oil Paint on Canvas
This painting resonates with my sister Lisa. She sees an elegance in the strong use of reds combined with the vibrant florals. It has been her encouragement that has spurred me to continue to tie the proverbial loose ends of this painting. This summer I decided to cut the painting down in length, reducing part of the red field and thus highlighting the flowers. I am happy with the result.
"Summer Wind"
18" x 18" x 2"
Oil Paint on Canvas
With this painting wildflowers figured prominently. The composition took some unexpected turns but with a desirable result. I am working to create energy from the various sides of the square and also to represent the flowers in an alluring manner.
"Sunrise in Beach Haven West, NJ"
14" x 16" x 2"
Oil Paint on Clayboard
Last Thanksgiving my family and I stayed at a house in Beach Haven West. The sunrises over Long Beach Island were spectacular, I had no idea of this when we first arrived there. I woke up early several mornings to find the sky was just lit up! This painting records one of those memorable mornings.
"Sunrise Over Eider Lane"
18" x 18” x 2"
Oil Paint on Clayboard
Eider Lane is up in Eastham, Cape Cod. Our whole family has been spending a week there for the past three summers. From the home’s backyard is a great view of the Cape Cod marshes. And just around the corner from the house is the Cape Cod Bay. I set up my easel upon arriving and paint for the whole trip. The sunrises experienced from the second floor of the house are particularly dramatic, and it is from that vantage point that this piece was generated. The painting then evolved throughout the trip. To me, it feels like a classic impressionist painting.
"Thanksgiving"
14” x 16” x 2”
Oil Paint on Clayboard
I started this painting Thanksgiving morning. I continued to work on it throughout the Thanksgiving weekend in between spending time with my family. I feel the mosaic quality of the piece represents those holiday weekends when you spend meaningful time with family, talking, eating and just being present for each other.
"The Very Elegant Physics of Flowers"
19" x 13” x 1.25"
Oil Paint on Aluminum Hardboard
I think we all have those periods, sometimes days, sometimes weeks, when we have thoughts bouncing around our heads and hearts but cannot fully articulate them. If we’re fortunate, eventually those ideas do crystallize into something cohesive and understandable. This painting is the physical manifestation of one of those periods for me. The mixing of the linear and the organic, natural motif is a constant source of inspiration to me. It is the way so much of the world presents to us. The fact that the piece is on linen adds the texture I was after. I relish this piece because I could express what I had been trying to articulate for a while and once “said”, I was happy with the result.
"Warner's Garden"
31.75" x 21.75” x 2"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
Warner in this case is a reference to an extremely fine house painter who I worked with back in the 90’s. He took house painting to an artistic height that I had never witnessed before. He applied so many coats of paint to an ordinary wall with such care and craft that the wall radiated with a spectrum of color. This painting exemplifies that for me. The flowers are inspired by our family walks in the Spring; somehow, amid the pandemic, the flowers and plants were more radiant than ever.
"Waterfall, Iceland"
19" x 25” x 1.25"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
I had not painted a waterfall scene until this piece. I loved building a composition around the waterfall, and this one was inspired by three different waterfalls I researched while working on a group of paintings about Iceland. This painting and its companion piece, which became the commissioned work, allowed me to push the expressiveness of the paint.
I very deliberately built layers as I usually do, but also created thick brush strokes by which the paint was laid on the board; using the underlying layer to further animate the next layer of paint. This process yielded the vitality I was shooting for.
"White Crest Beach, Cape Cod Massachusetts"
As a painter and a craftsman, I am always seeking new ways to combine my current work with my experience in fine furniture making. These artful boxes have allowed me to combine my skill sets to present my paintings in a stand-alone form. This allows the viewer to live with and experience the art in a new way; perhaps truly marrying inspired design and function.
8.5" x 8.5" x 2.75"
Cherry Box with Oil Paint on Hardboard
My favorite beach in the world. I feel an intrinsic connection to this place that has only been reinforced by having so many shared moments here with family and friends. When storm clouds begin to set in or when they begin to clear, this is the best vantage point to take in the sky that the storm produces. It was one of the first locales that inspired me to paint landscapes.
"Why I Paint Flowers"
13.5" x 13.5" x 1.25"
Oil Paint on Hardboard
Recently I have been drawn to wildflowers with my floral compositions. I am inspired by the color and vitality of these flowers. It is the underlying energy and movement that I am working to convey through the painting. I especially like the orderly randomness of wildflowers.
"Winter Turning to Spring"
18" x 16" x 2"
Oil Paint on Canvas Board
We often have flowers in our home. I used one arrangement as inspiration for this classical floral style painting. It was a challenge to find a vantage point that best served what I felt when looking at the flowers. I really like the point of view I developed here and look forward to doing more florals in this manner.
"Working the Color Wheel with a Monkey Wrench"
25" x 19" x 2"
Oil Paint on Clayboard
This painting grew out of an assemblage of objects that hold sentimental value and are stored in my studio. As the title implies, a key feature of the painting are my color choices. Vitality is a key theme. I think the flowers are particularly helpful in expressing that idea, especially viewed in concert with the painting’s other key objects.
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