Image of the Week: The Kitchen Oak
© Durga Yael Bernhard
The Kitchen Oak is an illustrative house portrait that I did for my friends Neil and Leann to commemorate their longtime home in Quiogue, Long Island. Built about a century ago, this chicken-coop-turned-cottage was once part of a quaint seaside farm. Standing as testimony to the past, a magnificent oak towered over the house, providing shade and habitat for birds. Neil and Leann were most fond of this tree, and wanted it to be in the portrait.
Neil Ratner is an eclectic man: as a former music manager and for ten years the private physician of Michael Jackson, he and Leann traveled the world, bringing back all kinds of art objects that turned their home into a multicultural collage. Returning from safari in Africa, a tour on the Amazon, or a trip to Southeast Asia, they returned to this tree that stood vigil over their home.
Years later, Neil and Leann decided to sell their dear little home, and wanted to honor the memories it held, including the oak outside the kitchen. But how could I portray both the unique interior and the tree outside?
Well, if Picasso can show two views of a face at once and Chagall can float figures over a village, I figured I could find a way. Curved limbs and straight lines partnered up like old friends. Gradients and extra divisions in the color fields of the sky and walls lend a feeling of stained glass. This was the kind of work that's no work at all – it practically painted itself.
This quirky house in Quiogue sure has some interesting stories behind it. Neil's life braids together his unique experience as musician, manager, and medical doctor. Check out Neil Ratner Rock Doc, or his book, Rock Doc, on Amazon.
A good week to all!
D Yael Bernhard