This new feature is designed to inspire you to look at the world around you, to take note of the season at hand and to capture it – in memory or on film – for posterity. I will be choosing five photos each week for Beekman1802.com with this aim in mind. We’re calling the feature, The Five Most Beautiful Things In The World This Week

 

The Art of Paulette Tavormina

When I first saw the photographs of Paulette Tavormina, I was gobsmacked. I could simply not believe that these lush, painterly still-life compositions were photos and not the masterpieces of Dutch and Spanish still-life painters of the 1700′s. As fine-art photography goes, Paulette, who is represented by the Robert Klein Gallery in Boston, occupies a rarified place of artistic excellence, elevating the medium to a level of gorgeous execution not seen elsewhere. I first got to know Paulette through Brent and Josh, in fact. Many of you may recognize her work from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook, which came out last year – a must-have, by the way, for anyone who loves to cook using simple, fresh and delicious ingredients.

Paulette is also responsible for those sumptuous images in the Sotheby’s catalog (a contributor since 2007) that have bidders drooling over priceless works of art and collectible sculptures. She has also worked as a food stylist for several Hollywood productions, including The Perfect Storm, Nixon and The Phantom.

In getting to know Paulette, I found her to be as generous and inquisitive as I imagined such an artist to be. Below are some examples of her incredible work, courtesy of the Robert Klein Gallery. I’ll be visiting her studio in Manhattan the next time I’m there, which I’m very excited about! To read more about her, including a great essay about her work by Wayne Andersen, and see more examples of her work, please visit her website.

 

 

All photography by Paulette Tavormina, courtesy of the Robert Klein Gallery

1. Artichokes ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

2. Lemons and Pomegranates ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

3. Crab Apple ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

4. Watermelon Radishes ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

5. Strawberries ©Paulette Tavormina courtesy Robert Klein Gallery

 

Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted to Martha-Stewart related content and her community of supporters. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and has been a longtime friend of Brent & Josh, Beekman 1802 and Sharon Springs. Each week he’ll scour the world (wide web) to find the 5 most beautiful things to inspire you. Follow Andrew on Pinterest.