Features
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"After painting 294 books in a recent painting I wanted to paint a simpler, smaller still life. I purchased the handsome basket and filled it with red apples and red grapes. The cloth has been in anther painting of mine (Abundance) and I have always loved its design and color. By placing a floodlight on the lower left I was able to create some unusual lighting on the grapes on the left and the wrinkles on the cloth. Even though this is a smaller painting it took me a lot longer than I thought it w ould as there is quite a bit of complexity in the cloth and the weave of the basket. Apples and grapes both ripen in the fall here in New York State hence the title". Daniel K. Tennant March 10, 2014 |
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"Many times ideas for paintings are in the incubation stage in my mind for years. The idea for this painting came in 2006. I photographed a used bookstore's interior back then. From the many slides I took this one was my favorite composition. I was attracted to the repetition of all the books/rectangles in the set up as well as the sunlight pouring in from a small window on the left. The many colors of the 294 books and the different angles in which they are randomly piled also helped the painting. The painting took three months to complete. If the bust of William Shakespeare had not been in the shop it would have lacked a major focal point.". Daniel K. Tennant March 10, 2014 |
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"This complex still life was started in November 2012 and finished in September 2013. The painting consists of all Scottish objects. From left to right they are: a brandy snifter with Scotch in it, Scotch decanter, metal jigger, small set of bagpipes, can of Haggis, cup of Scottish (breakfast tea) with Scottish tea biscuits, portrait of the poet Robert Burns, book of his poetry opened to the poem, "Address to a Haggis", dagger resting on the book, artificial thistles, silver broach of a Celtic cross, horsehair sporran Scottish men wear in the front of their kilts, two color photographs: one of the Scottish highlands and the other of a rustic Scottish castle by a lake, Scotsman in a Plexiglas cube, the magazine-Royal Scotland and a Scottish terrier fashioned out of cast iron. The foreground cloth is called tartan and in the background are the two flags of Scotland and partial map of Scotland. Each January the local Scottish Inn (the Brae Loch Inn) has a Robert Burns night (attended by a few hundred people) where they include a haggis cutting ceremony. The painting was done to commemorate that event and prints will be made of the painting. After completing it I realized that the largest shapes are the primary colors: red, yellow and blue. It wasn't planned but makes for a colorful still life". Daniel K. Tennant September 12, 2013 |
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"Silver continues to interest me a great deal. With these two bowls the convex shapes created interesting reflections on them from the patterned cloth. In this small still life I wanted to simplify the painting to just four textures- fruit skin, cloth, metal and the background wall. Small paintings have just as many technical challenges as larger paintings and some of the greatest masterpieces the world has ever seen are not big at all- I think of Jan Vermeer's paintings. He was called, "The little master"." Daniel K. Tennant September 2012 |
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"I started this painting on January 16, 2006 and finished it on July 28, 2012. When I originally began the painting I was so excited about doing it but then things like retiring from the classroom, moving and five commissions made me put the painting in storage until I could finish it This winter scene was done as a commission. I took many liberties with the composition. The background hills are actually from New Woodstock- at least eight miles from the barn. The white pine on the left in the background is also transplanted from a few miles away. The barn itself is in great shape- getting painted every few years- although no longer a working barn. It is impressive to pass it on a winter's day. The red of the barn contrasted with the more muted colors of winter make it a cheery sight to behold." Daniel K. Tennant November 2012 |
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"I started this painting on January 16, 2006 and finished it on July 28, 2012. When I originally began the painting I was so excited about doing it but then things like retiring from the classroom, moving and five commissions made me put the painting in storage until I could finish it The initial attraction to me was the eagle on top of the teapot. I also loved all the reflections on the silver and the plump blueberry muffin. (After blueberries are cooked they turn a deep reddish. I have asked others if they know if there are any blue foods. To my knowledge there aren't any). All the various textures and the lighting made this painting a real challenge." Daniel K. Tennant July 28, 2012 |
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"In the summer of 2011 I was approached by a couple who wanted me to paint a small collection of their most prized antiques. They delivered the pieces to my studio where I spent a day photographing them all. Throughout the painting I wanted to intersperse it with various colors to lead one's eye around the finished painting. When I completed the painting (almost seven months later) I noticed all the pairs of objects: doves, candles, peaches, peach colored calla lilies, statues, silver slippers, lemon wedges, cologne bottles, walking sticks and candle sticks. Silver is always a great challenge but one I enjoy immensely. My clients were very pleased with the end result." Daniel K. Tennant 2012 |
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"The client, John Herr, gave me such a wonderful assignment: paint things you like for me. I took him at his word and painted books I have loved to read, a postcard he sent me, an apple, a string of black pearls and a small reproduction of Van Gogh's, "Sunflowers"- all on a bookshelf. It was not a big painting but I enjoyed painting all of it. It didn't have any technical problems or struggles that I usually have with painting. He was extremely happy with the results and the apple was one of the best things I've ever painted." Daniel K. Tennant 2006
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"This painting was commissioned by one of my former high school teachers -math teacher, Barry Parker. He was one of the best teachers I ever had and he influenced me to pursue a career in teaching. In the still life I was asked to paint some of his favorite books and other items that were important to him: the drill symbolizes Mr.Parker's love for building birdhouses, logs represent the wood he splits by hand, a map of his favorite area in northern New York State and the weather report from the local newspaper- as he loves the outdoors and studying the weather patterns. Other items such as a feather, small ceramic vase, crow feather, brass calendar, yearbook, smooth rocks form Lake Ontario, iron wedge for wood splitting, black and white photo of an elm tree are all important items for him as well. It was a serious challenge to design it to be an interesting still life. He was delighted with the results- which made me extremely happy and relieved- as the artist." Daniel K. Tennant June 2010 |
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"My oldest son Chris, an accomplished photographer, captured this early morning image of a farm house about four miles outside of the small village I lived in from 1976-2008. That area of New York State has lot of fog rising off the Susuquehanna River as it meananders through the villages and farm land. On some summer mornings, when the fog is quite dense, you can drive out of the fog into brilliant sunshine. As you drive away from the river the valley is filled with a blanket of white. We always thought the rest of the county was enshrouded in fog when it was simply those places close to the river. A friend of mine saw the color photos of an old farm house in the morning mist and asked me to do a painting from the photo. I was happy to do so. It is unusual for me to paint such a small painting. The painting is 16x20 and I was able to complete it in three days. Visit my son Chris's website at www.christennantphotography.com to enjoy more of his impressive work." Daniel K. Tennant November 7, 2011 |
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"I have been patronizing a bookshop about 45 minutes from our home for almost thirty years. Besides having cats who often sleep near the cash register they have a variety of unusual chickens penned outside the shop. There is always something to see. On entering the shop you go through a small mud room and it's in this area they keep the older sets and reduced priced books. About four months ago I came across these old leather bound books. They were all neatly placed on the shelves and I requested permission to rearrange them. One of my favorite books is the blue one almost in the middle. The painting was done specifically for a small works show in Tulsa for December 2010." Daniel K. Tennant November 10, 2010 |
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"I was intrigued with an old cupboard my former neighbor had behind his garage. The peeling paint was so unusual and I was interested in all the strange shapes the peeling paint had created. I set up the cupboard in my backyard and attached an old shelf to it where I put some colored glass bottles, marbles, lantern and some freshly picked day lilies. In talking to a friend about the painting he said that the day lilies only last a day and that they are here today and gone tomorrow- hence the title. I thought too that the fresh flowers were quite a contrast with the old bottles, lantern and old paint. I didn't realize it but there are groups of five in the painting. There are five bottles, five flowers, five marbles and five panels in the cupboard. It was not conscious but it seems easier to compose a painting with odd numbers of objects as opposed to even numbers of objects. I believe I used every tint there is available to artists in this painting. I enjoyed painting it- it only took two months." Daniel K. Tennant April 15, 2010 |
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"Four years ago I purchased this dazzling piece of English cloth at an antique shop and wanted to incorporate it into a still life. This past summer I was able to do that. Picking some lilies from a neighbor's flower garden and incorporating a brass vase, small ceramic jug, the cloth and chocolate chip cookies on a piece of wax paper gave me just what I wanted. I also tried for the first time an all black background to make all the objects really stand out. The details of the cloth took over twenty hours to paint and I used some extremely small brushes to get those details. Due to a number of commissions in 2009 this is the first feature painting listed in a long time. Hopefully more will be coming and more quickly." Daniel K. Tennant February 10, 2010 |
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"My wife makes beautiful quilts and smaller ones as decorations for tables. I used one of them in this still life painting. I found these wonderful bottles and the jug at an antique store about four miles from my studio. The jug was made in Mohawk, New York and is a two gallon one. I loved the light glistening off the side of the jug as well as the patterns of the quilt seen through the brown glass bottle on the left. I used two floodlights to get the interesting shadows and highlights on the wood on the right foreground and the left background. I remember setting this still life up in the antique shop and outside was one of the heaviest snowfalls I've ever driven through. I was glad I had a four wheel drive vehicle that enabled me to navigate the unplowed roads!" Daniel K. Tennant April 8, 2009 |
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"I started this painting back in September and it was a struggle the whole time I painted it. Some paintings just flow off the brush and others kick and fight the whole way. It is one of those mysteries in being an artist. These jugs are the ovoid type and have that great oval shape about them that I like to paint. They are usually very shiny and that adds to the drama of the still life- seeing the reflections in them. My wife made the beautiful triangular patterned runner and the basket as well. Now that the painting is finished I am warming up to it. For a while I wasn't sure how it would turn out." Daniel K. Tennant January 28, 2008 |
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"The idea for this painting came from a brochure in the mail. In the brochure was a fabulous painting by Michelangelo Caravaggio titled, Still Life With Fruit on a Stone Ledge (1603). I was really struck by his beautiful rendering of a basket with fruit in shadow. His painting was done in oils and I work in opaque watercolors so there was quite a challenge to create a painting with a similar feel. I found a beautiful old vine basket and filled it with grapes, pears, apples and plums. I also had some fruit spilling over into the foreground." Daniel K. Tennant August 31, 2007 |
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"This commissioned painting was a painting that had its beginnings about a year ago. I did a commission in 2006 and my client asked me to paint this beautifully restored mill that is located in Baldwinsville, New York. It is about two hours from me so I drove up twice to get photographs to work from. The mill was built in the mid 1800s and then was eventually abandoned. It sits on an island in between the Seneca River and the Erie Canal. When you are on the island it doesn't feel like one but aerial shots clearly show it is. The mill was stripped down to the bare beams and very carefully restored. Each of the thirty-two rooms have lacquered barn beams in them. No expense was spared in creating this magnificent inn which is called The Red Mill Inn. In doing the commission I fixed the crumbling seawall. I also left out the many buildings which are behind the property on the mainland and excluded power lines, telephone poles and brightly painted fences on the sides of the canal. I also was able to plant three extra saplings on the side lawn which at present does not exist there. It is all open gravel and fill. It is a magnificent structure. The PT Cruiser was painted in to give a sense of the size of the building. It is enormous." Daniel K. Tennant May 28, 2007 Check out The Red Mill Inn official link at http://www.theredmillinn.com for more information. Gicleé prints of this painting are available at The Red Mill Inn. |
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"I filled this exquisite melon basket with the most beautiful apples I could find. The apples were from New Zealand and they were waxy and brilliant in color. I placed the arrangement on top of an ornate flowered cloth. I had never done a painting with the lighting directly overhead. I painted a violet background so that it would recede slightly and still have a warm tone." Daniel K. Tennant April 10, 2007 |
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"My son recently saw a still life done by the Italian master, Michelangelo Caravaggio, and sent me a postcard of the painting. In the still life Caravaggio had painted there were two pomegranates. My son thought a still life with these magnificent fruits would make a beautiful still life. He was correct. The arils (seeds) are filled with juice and have many colors in them. The skin of the fruit is often freckled with patches of browns and blacks on them and the juice is the color of blood. Pomegranates have been painted as symbols of eternity, royalty and the resurrection of Christ. I really had an enjoyable time painting the complex pattern of the cloth." Daniel K. Tennant February 23, 2007 |
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"The juicy peaches and bright ripe strawberries worked well on a rich blue setting. The bright colors look even brighter contrasted with the cools of the cloth and metallic box. There are many varieties of peaches and these had light colored pits. Some peach pits I have seen have been quite dark. Peaches are noted for their fuzziness and strawberries for their shiny surface. It was enjoyable capturing the various surfaces, colors and shadows in this more simple still life. Although smaller than many of my other paintings, it had the same challenges as much larger paintings." Daniel K. Tennant December 5, 2006 |
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"Ten years ago I did a small still life with an ovoid shaped jug in it. It was an enjoyable challenge getting the patina, shape and reflections in the painting. This summer I again tried the same subject but on a grander scale. The apples are not real- they are the wooden crab apples you can buy at any country gift shop. My wife made the basket and quilted runner. They are all early American items as well as being rural. The runner took a long time to paint due to the variety of patterns. It is interesting to note that when art students major in surface pattern in college they always use gouache when designing patterns for clothing, wallpaper and other products." Daniel K. Tennant December 5, 2006 |
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"My wife, Karen, makes beautiful baskets and she recently made a small melon basket. I have painted it before ("Melon Basket"). I painted it again and filled it with plump strawberries. My home is in Bainbridge, New York and across the river from us is a well known strawberry farm where you can pick them in June. This little still life symbolizes my wife's creativity, the delicious berries of early summer found here and my love for strong Dutch type lighting. It is a small painting but takes just as much concentration as the larger ones." Daniel K. Tennant April 6, 2006 |
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"The initial spark for the idea of this still life came from a painting by Dutch still life master- Willem Kalf (1616-1693). He had been captivated by the beautiful complexity of a lobster 352 years ago. After looking at his painting, "Still Life With Drinking Horn" I too wanted to paint a lobster! Kalf used oils whereas I have used opaque watercolors (gouache). In my painting I have also included a silver cup, grapes, glass of wine, Persian rug, Gouda cheese, pearl handled knife, silver trays, brown bread and a leather bound book. All these items speak of craftsmanship or good taste. I especially loved painting the highlights on the shiny shell of the magnificent lobster- it was almost a four pounder." Daniel K. Tennant |
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"This painting was a commissioned painting. The beautiful view of the farm so densely enclosed with trees is one of the prettiest areas in New York State. The farm has been a family getaway for over two generations and the family wanted the view you see as you approach it by the only driveway. During the summer it is lush, shaded and quiet. It is a bird watcher's paradise and a place to withdraw from the harried pace of today's world. It will eventually be displayed in a private collection in California. There are over twenty different colors of green in the painting." Daniel K. Tennant |
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"Our second son attended college in Delhi, New York for four years and the quickest way to take him back to college was to take the back roads. Over the years I passed this old barn many times. It always impressed me with its sway back roof line, its board and batting siding and the interesting angles of the barn's structure. I also was drawn to the little vents on it top. In the fall of 2003 I had a perfect day to photograph it: when the skies are deep blue and clear, the foliage has its most brilliant colors and the grasses have started to turn from greens to browns and ochers. Putting all these characteristics of October together I created this portrait of autumn. I did leave out an old road sign and the road as well as a run down old building up the road from the barn. The barn also had a long concrete wing on it to the left which looked a lot more modern than the barn and it took away the rustic qualities I liked so much in the barn. Using opaque watercolors (gouache) is always a pleasure as they can be used in a linear fashion and are perfect for capturing the variety of textures and colors that made up this particular scene." Daniel K. Tennant
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"This painting was commissioned by Radio Shack. They have a new world headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas and wanted to create a collection of contemporary artwork that included their products in the artwork. I immediately thought of a still life that incorporated older items contrasted with their newer products- things like: a phone, a radio, a camera and so forth. Radio Shack sent me their latest items and I searched in second hand shops for the older things I needed. The most difficult item to find was an old rotary phone as most people had simply thrown them out. The painting was the largest gouache painting I've ever done- 48" x 72" and it was so tall I had to sit atop a small step ladder to paint the upper portion of the painting. I loved doing this still life especially the old wood in the background and things like the cord of the rotary phone with all its coils. There were so many interesting textures and it took me all summer to paint it. It is now displayed in their corporate headquarters." Daniel K. Tennant September 2004 
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"About five years ago someone told me about a pretty blonde girl who lived nearby. I finally got to meet her one Sunday morning at church and was taken by her wholesome country looks and her light blonde hair. I asked her to pose for me and she said yes. I was surprised because she was somewhat shy. I used her in the painting not only as a true portrait but also as a symbol for summertime. Many artists have used the figure in a symbolic way. Ashley represented to me the countryside, summer and sunshine. She posed with her mother's best tea set at her home. I used a totally different background- the rolling hills of Bainbridge are seen only slightly in the background and at our local track (which I walk on often for exercise) you can see the wonderful lush trees when they have leaves. The painting was started in February 2003 and completed in September of 2005. It was the most time consuming painting I've ever done for my gallery." Daniel K. Tennant
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