A Still Life from Wesleyville
Alice Porter paused at Staunton Farm, where morning mist still clung to the rows of vegetables. She purchased cabbage and asparagus from the farm stand. At home she trimmed asparagus and cabbage for a quiet dinner planned outdoors with a special friend.
The Wesleyville Collection
There is a certain quiet that arrives with early spring—before the full rush of gardens, before the markets are crowded, before the days stretch too long. It is in that gentle in-between that Spring Harvest was painted.
This small still life began, as many of my pieces do, with a simple arrangement: cabbage leaves still cool from the earth, a bundle of asparagus tied loosely with twine, and a blue and white pitcher that has long lived in the background of my studio. Nothing elaborate. Nothing staged beyond recognition. Just the quiet abundance of what is at hand.
Painted alla prima, in a single sitting, the piece holds onto that immediacy—the sense that the moment has not yet passed. The brushstrokes remain loose, responsive, and a little imperfect, much like the vegetables themselves. There’s a softness to the light, as though the morning mist has only just lifted from the fields.
In the world of Wesleyville, this painting belongs to Alice Porter, who stops at Staunton Farm and gathers what she needs for supper. There is something deeply grounding in that ritual—choosing, carrying, preparing. It is not hurried. It is not complicated. It is enough.
And perhaps that is what I return to again and again in these works: the idea that the simplest acts—gathering vegetables, setting a table, preparing a meal—can hold a kind of quiet magic.
A Simple Spring Recipe: Dill Asparagus & Warm Cabbage Toss
Inspired by Alice’s supper, this is the kind of dish that asks very little and gives quite a bit in return.
Ingredients:
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 2 cups cabbage, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Fresh dill (a generous handful)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the asparagus for 2–3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a skillet, melt butter or warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté gently.
- Add cabbage and cook until just softened but still bright.
- Toss in the asparagus, fresh dill, and a squeeze of lemon.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
It’s the kind of meal that doesn’t need ceremony—just a plate, a quiet evening, and perhaps someone to share it with.
A Small Work, A Lasting Moment
Spring Harvest is a 6 x 6 inch original oil painting on wood panel, part of the Wesleyville Collection—a series devoted to small, story-rich moments.
It’s for those who are drawn to:
• The stillness of a cottage kitchen
• The rhythm of seasonal living
• The beauty of everyday objects
• And the quiet satisfaction of a meal prepared with care
A small painting, perhaps—but one that holds a whole afternoon inside it.
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