Sterling Boyd Strauser (American, 1907–1995)Cherry BlossomsSigned and dated 81 bottom left, oil on Masonite.36 x 48 in. (91.4 x 121.9cm)UnframedPROVENANCE:The Artist.Private Collection, Princeton, New Jersey (by descent in family).note:"Everything about the 'Strauser method' is unorthodox. Everything I do is in direct violation of what is recommended in the art manuals. (For example), take a raw piece of Masonite, sand it rough, coat it with linseed oil, add gesso, smear your background paint on with a one-inch house painting brush in a heavy impasto, draw into this wet background with… charcoal and start laying in your colors with a knife. If the background support is dark, use Titanium white, it is a more powerful cover. (And don't forget to use the built in eraser at the end of your finger. It allows for changes easily and quickly." - Sterling Strauser, quoted in Sterling Strauser: A Modernist Revisited, p. 15.