Offered by JENNESS CORTEZ

“Summertime” © by Jenness Cortez, acrylic on mahogany 16” by 20”
Homage to: Winslow Homer (1836 -1910), “Boys in a Pasture,” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Winslow Homer’s “Boys in a Pasture,” is a simple tribute to the painter’s two great loves: leisure time in all its forms, and the pleasures of the common sense lives of ordinary rural Americans after the Civil War. His paintings, so unlike the saccharine confections then currently in vogue, were at first mercilessly attacked by the critics, but their honesty and power soon won Homer a devoted following of important collectors. Although his paintings now seem quintessentially American to our 21st century eyes, the influence of Homer’s study of Japanese prints shows up in almost all his compositions, even those as simple as this one. In my tribute to him I chose to add the sweetness of summer to the foreground in the forms of wild berries and ripe watermelon, and I could not suppress the impulse to include a pair of familiar modern comforts: the cell phone and key ring. – JENNESS CORTEZ

Jenness Cortez begins her creative process by selecting another artist’s iconic painting to serve as the centerpiece of her own original composition. Depending on her response to that chosen painting, the artist who created it, and the time and culture that gave birth to it, Cortez then becomes author, art director, architect, visual journalist, art historian, curator and pundit as she searches for supportive elements to assist in telling her story. The famous works portrayed in all her compositions are painted with deep respect for their creators, and her careful creative process adds to both the viewer’s understanding and appreciation of beautiful art.