Contemplating Sebastian

At about eight years old, Jeff found a cache of cardboard placemats behind a neighborhood gas station. Printed with paintings by Leonardo, Wyeth, and Millet, they became treasures he hung in his bedroom for years. The encounter stayed with him long after he understood how unusual his excitement might have seemed.

Contemplating Sebastian offers a small acknowledgment of that beginning. An image of Velázquez's Sebastian keeps company with a cream pitcher and a stack of everyday plates. In this arrangement, Jeff brings the art that captivated a child into the familiar objects of his own painting.