GALLERIES —
GASTON ASCENDING
© 1997 Keith Halonen    oil on panel    14¾×9½ in / 38×24 cm    $ 2,300 US
THIS PAINTING IS A GOLDEN RECTANGLE

GASTON DESCENDING
© 1997 Keith Halonen    oil on panel    15×9½ in / 38×24 cm    $ 2,300 US
THIS PAINTING IS A GOLDEN RECTANGLE

GASTON SPELUNKING
© 1997 Keith Halonen    oil on panel    15×9¼ in / 38×24 cm    $ 2,300 US
THIS PAINTING IS A GOLDEN RECTANGLE

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GAGGLE MARIPOSA NOCTURNA NIKO IN SHADE THE GASTON TRIO
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     When oranges are eaten in my household, the peels are not immediately relegated to the compost pile. They are left in the open for a few hours to scent the rooms with their fragrant aroma. While eating an orange in my yard, I stacked the peels next to me on the deck. I was momentarily distracted by a garden task and when I returned the caterpillar was feasting on my abandoned snack.

     I made a little game of it, restacking peels several different ways to see how determined the caterpillar might be. The caterpillar repeatedly crawled up the stack of rinds to get at the most succulent portions of pulp. It was a study in patience, never showing any indication of frustration. No matter how difficult I made its task, it relentlessly found it's way to the sweetest part and resumed feasting.



Detail from THE GASTON TRIO

     The caterpillar got its name when a gallery owner saw these oils and remarked that they reminded her of an anecdote from the childhood of author William Saroyan. In that story, the caterpillar was named Gaston.

     I know next to nothing about insects. I'm guessing that the dark spots on the caterpillar's large red head are its eyes. The tufts of hair on the caterpillar's body must be sensing tools that work like cat whiskers.

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