My Painting of Edward Hopper's Studio in Somerville Manning Gallery's Show of My Work

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This is probably what Edward Hopper's studio looked like in Hopper's day- "Edward Hopper's Studio: Truro," oil, 28 x 56 inches, 2020. It is one of the largest paintings in Somerville Manning Gallery's upcoming show of my work opening April 9. Hopper first visited Cape Cod in 1930 and fell in love with how the light played over the barren massive sand dunes in Truro. Remember the 19th century inhabitants of the Cape had cut down many of the trees for lumber and firewood.

I painted this canvas largely from memory of the wide open vistas around Hopper's studio when I had my first residency there in 1983, when the surrounding vegetation hadn't regrown as much as it has today.
Two electrical poles frame the studio- there's a funny story attached to them. Hopper is famous for painting an unvarnished view of urban America. When the Hopper's built the studio in 1934 there was no electricity along the access road. Some years later the power company installed power lines and offered to bury the cables leading to individual homes at an extra charge.
Apparently Hopper felt power lines over his property would be unsightly and was irritated that none of his neighbors would pay to have their cables put underground. To this day one can follow the power lines all the way up to the edge of Hopper's property and see where they dive underground for the last 100 yards to his studio.

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