Frederick Law Olmsted was a genius of unfathomable proportion. This gentleman saw the center of a bustling island, and envisioned 1.317 square miles of trees, hills, bridges, lakes and pathways — and invented Central Park.

Having spent 12 years living in Manhattan (10 of which, were on the Upper East Side) — The Park was my home away from home, through which I ran 1000’s of miles, played 100’s of hockey games, and spent countless hours exploring, thinking, enjoying… being connected to my inner self.

So, when longtime collector, Debbie Paul, commissioned me to create this 48″x56″ acrylic on canvas painting — it became a most welcome time warp… and, eventually, my greatest creative challenge to date. You can view the time lapse immediately above… and click onward for the stroke-by-stroke recap.

Humble beginnings. For a sense of scale, I’m only two inches shorter than Shaq.

That sea of heat… perhaps, a vision of primordial Manhattan.

Let there be the Hudson River! Also, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir… oh the loops I’ve run around you.

On a canvas this large, I was focused on blocking out as much as I could before diving into the details. This is where patience is critical.

Again… focusing on the big picture… laying things out… working the whole canvas at once, the timeless advice received at 13 from my art teacher, Mrs. Livesey.

Went into the distance… and painted me some Jersey. I must have had The Sopranos on my mind… as I oft do.

West Siiiiiiiide! Now, it was time to indulge a bit, and start cranking details.

Ah… yes… finally, getting into the park. My focus was capturing the way light spills into the fields of Central Park. I also nailed down some roads and bridges… even paintings require a sound infrastructure.

So. Many. Leaves. Leave it to the size 000 brush. I arbor no resentment toward this phase. I enjoy the photosynthesis of this stage. OK, I’ll stop.

With the leaves in, and the Upper East Side in its infancy, I began to crush Central Park South… which I’ve painted from the other direction before.

Oh, so satisfying to finish those buildings… a few windows, to be sure. And now… saving my longtime home for last…

The Met! The Gugg! The perspective fade! And, ladies and gentleman — we are done. The size and scope of this painting challenged me in the best way. It was a journey, almost impossible to describe.

Back in 2011, while painting on the street in front of The Whitney — I had the great fortune of crossing paths with Debbie Paul, who was pushing her daughter Sophie in a stroller. We exchanged information, she came to visit my studio, and acquired a painting. Over the years, Debbie has been an incredible supporter and evangelist of my work — and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Thank you Debbie, I cannot wait for you to see this painting in person!