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Follow Me
the Artist Josef
Human Weather
Paintings that witness the emotional climate of human experience across history and the present moment
To witness is to remain present where feeling endures after history passes.
Human Weather is an ongoing body of paintings that reflects on the emotional atmosphere of public life across history and the present moment. Emerging from images shaped by conflict, memory, performance, loss, and collective experience, the work turns away from documentation and toward interior human feeling. Children, soldiers, performers, witnesses, and mourners appear not as symbols or arguments, but as individuals carrying vulnerability, endurance, grief, resilience, and fragile hope. Narrative detail is softened and gesture restrained, allowing stillness to hold emotional weight. Spanning both historical and contemporary reference, the series asks what remains after events pass from headlines into memory—what is carried quietly in the body, and what continues to seek recognition. The title Human Weather suggests conditions that move through lives as seasons move through landscapes: exposure and shelter, rupture and repair, sorrow and celebration. At its core, the work is an act of attentive witnessing—an invitation to pause, to feel, and to recognize the enduring human search for dignity, connection, and care.
All Current Works
Towards the Unknown
2017
Oil on canvas, 9 × 12 in
From the Human Weather series
Painted as part of the artist’s partnership with the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, Towards the Unknown is based on a historical photograph of orphaned children waiting in a train station during the First World War.
Seated side by side, layered against the cold, the children appear suspended between departure and arrival. Their expressions hold neither panic nor certainty, but something more complex—hope mixed with trepidation, endurance shaped by circumstance. A distant adult presence, seen through glass, introduces quiet tension without interrupting their stillness.
Within Human Weather, the work reflects on childhood interrupted by forces beyond comprehension. It asks what it means to move forward when the path has been chosen by history rather than by the self.
Oil on canvas, 9 × 12 in
From the Human Weather series
Painted as part of the artist’s partnership with the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission, Towards the Unknown is based on a historical photograph of orphaned children waiting in a train station during the First World War.
Seated side by side, layered against the cold, the children appear suspended between departure and arrival. Their expressions hold neither panic nor certainty, but something more complex—hope mixed with trepidation, endurance shaped by circumstance. A distant adult presence, seen through glass, introduces quiet tension without interrupting their stillness.
Within Human Weather, the work reflects on childhood interrupted by forces beyond comprehension. It asks what it means to move forward when the path has been chosen by history rather than by the self.
She's NOT Invisible
2013
Oil on canvas, 9 × 12 in
From the Human Weather series
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong.
Because some day in life you will have been all of these.” - George Washington Carver
Inspired by a photograph taken by the artist in Rome, this painting captures a moment on the Spanish Steps where one woman passes another without acknowledgment. The descending figure, rendered as translucent and indistinct, suggests how easily attention can dissolve in public space.
The seated woman remains present, grounded, and fully realized—her stillness contrasting with the motion around her.
Within Human Weather, the work reflects on visibility and indifference: how quickly the human presence of another can fade from perception, and how deeply the act of seeing still matters.
Oil on canvas, 9 × 12 in
From the Human Weather series
“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong.
Because some day in life you will have been all of these.” - George Washington Carver
Inspired by a photograph taken by the artist in Rome, this painting captures a moment on the Spanish Steps where one woman passes another without acknowledgment. The descending figure, rendered as translucent and indistinct, suggests how easily attention can dissolve in public space.
The seated woman remains present, grounded, and fully realized—her stillness contrasting with the motion around her.
Within Human Weather, the work reflects on visibility and indifference: how quickly the human presence of another can fade from perception, and how deeply the act of seeing still matters.
Time Flies
2016
Oil on canvas, 24 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Inspired by a photograph of a grandparent and child standing at the ocean’s edge, Time Flies captures a moment of shared stillness between generations. Hand in hand, the figures face the open horizon, framed by water, light, and space.
The painting reflects a universal longing: the desire to hold time in place while knowing it cannot be held. Childhood passes, roles shift, and moments once frequent become rare—but memory endures.
Within Human Weather, this work speaks to time as an emotional climate. It honors the fleeting nature of intimacy while affirming that love, once felt fully, continues long after the moment itself has moved on.
Oil on canvas, 24 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Inspired by a photograph of a grandparent and child standing at the ocean’s edge, Time Flies captures a moment of shared stillness between generations. Hand in hand, the figures face the open horizon, framed by water, light, and space.
The painting reflects a universal longing: the desire to hold time in place while knowing it cannot be held. Childhood passes, roles shift, and moments once frequent become rare—but memory endures.
Within Human Weather, this work speaks to time as an emotional climate. It honors the fleeting nature of intimacy while affirming that love, once felt fully, continues long after the moment itself has moved on.
A Common Love
2016
Oil on canvas, 24 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Inspired by a photograph taken in Istanbul, A Common Love captures a quiet exchange between mother and child amid the movement of a crowded public square.
The setting—near the Hagia Sophia—anchors the moment in a place shaped by layered histories, cultures, and faiths.
Yet the focus remains intimate: a shared ice cream cone, a patient gesture, a child’s open trust. The surrounding world recedes as tenderness takes center stage.
Within Human Weather, the painting reflects on connection as something both ordinary and profound. Across geography and belief, certain gestures endure—care offered, care received—reminding us that beneath the noise of difference, human affection remains familiar.
Oil on canvas, 24 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Inspired by a photograph taken in Istanbul, A Common Love captures a quiet exchange between mother and child amid the movement of a crowded public square.
The setting—near the Hagia Sophia—anchors the moment in a place shaped by layered histories, cultures, and faiths.
Yet the focus remains intimate: a shared ice cream cone, a patient gesture, a child’s open trust. The surrounding world recedes as tenderness takes center stage.
Within Human Weather, the painting reflects on connection as something both ordinary and profound. Across geography and belief, certain gestures endure—care offered, care received—reminding us that beneath the noise of difference, human affection remains familiar.
Wedding Dance
2016
Oil on canvas, 24 × 30 in
From the Human Weather series
Drawn from a scene at the artist’s own wedding, Wedding Dance captures a moment of celebration suspended in warm interior light. A bride moves across the floor while children circle nearby, their gestures unguarded and full of motion.
The painting reflects a particular kind of human climate: collective joy. For an evening, uncertainty pauses. Family and friends gather not around fear or history, but around hope and shared promise.
Within Human Weather, this work reminds us that celebration is not the absence of difficulty—it is the deliberate choice to embrace love, possibility, and renewal in the midst of life’s unpredictability.
Oil on canvas, 24 × 30 in
From the Human Weather series
Drawn from a scene at the artist’s own wedding, Wedding Dance captures a moment of celebration suspended in warm interior light. A bride moves across the floor while children circle nearby, their gestures unguarded and full of motion.
The painting reflects a particular kind of human climate: collective joy. For an evening, uncertainty pauses. Family and friends gather not around fear or history, but around hope and shared promise.
Within Human Weather, this work reminds us that celebration is not the absence of difficulty—it is the deliberate choice to embrace love, possibility, and renewal in the midst of life’s unpredictability.
Second Thoughts?
2017
Oil on canvas, 16 × 20 in
From the Human Weather series
Inspired by an early morning scene in Venice, Second Thoughts? captures three figures suspended in golden light before the day fully begins. A couple stands together on a bridge overlooking the lagoon, while a solitary figure descends the steps, moving away.
The architecture and fading blues of dawn frame a quiet emotional threshold. The moment suggests hesitation—not as drama, but as something fleeting and human.
Within Human Weather, the painting reflects on interior uncertainty: those brief, passing doubts that surface before commitment deepens and the heart settles again. It is a study in transition, where possibility and choice share the same breath.
Oil on canvas, 16 × 20 in
From the Human Weather series
Inspired by an early morning scene in Venice, Second Thoughts? captures three figures suspended in golden light before the day fully begins. A couple stands together on a bridge overlooking the lagoon, while a solitary figure descends the steps, moving away.
The architecture and fading blues of dawn frame a quiet emotional threshold. The moment suggests hesitation—not as drama, but as something fleeting and human.
Within Human Weather, the painting reflects on interior uncertainty: those brief, passing doubts that surface before commitment deepens and the heart settles again. It is a study in transition, where possibility and choice share the same breath.
Winter is Coming
2017
Oil on canvas, 18 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a photograph taken in Washington, D.C., Winter is Coming portrays a solitary figure walking towards the US Capitol beneath a gathering winter storm. The scale of architecture and the muted tones of the sky heighten the contrast between individual presence, coming uncertainty and institutional permanence.
The painting was begun during a winter blizzard and completed later, in a period marked by collective uncertainty of a new, and unexpected, administration. The convergence of literal and emotional climate gives the work its quiet tension.
Within Human Weather, the piece reflects on anticipation—the feeling of approaching change before its full impact is known. Like winter itself, seasons of strain eventually pass, reminding us that endurance and renewal share the same horizon.
Oil on canvas, 18 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a photograph taken in Washington, D.C., Winter is Coming portrays a solitary figure walking towards the US Capitol beneath a gathering winter storm. The scale of architecture and the muted tones of the sky heighten the contrast between individual presence, coming uncertainty and institutional permanence.
The painting was begun during a winter blizzard and completed later, in a period marked by collective uncertainty of a new, and unexpected, administration. The convergence of literal and emotional climate gives the work its quiet tension.
Within Human Weather, the piece reflects on anticipation—the feeling of approaching change before its full impact is known. Like winter itself, seasons of strain eventually pass, reminding us that endurance and renewal share the same horizon.
Summer Nights
2019
Oil on canvas, 15 × 30 in
From the Human Weather series
Painted from a photograph taken during a rare blue moon rising over the Atlantic, Summer Nights captures two children standing at the edge of sea and sky, suspended between earth and light.
The swirling twilight and luminous horizon amplify the sense of awe that often belongs most fully to childhood. Sound, color, and imagination merge into a single moment of presence.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on wonder as a vital emotional climate—those rare evenings when time feels expansive and the world reveals itself as mysterious, beautiful, and full of possibility.
Oil on canvas, 15 × 30 in
From the Human Weather series
Painted from a photograph taken during a rare blue moon rising over the Atlantic, Summer Nights captures two children standing at the edge of sea and sky, suspended between earth and light.
The swirling twilight and luminous horizon amplify the sense of awe that often belongs most fully to childhood. Sound, color, and imagination merge into a single moment of presence.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on wonder as a vital emotional climate—those rare evenings when time feels expansive and the world reveals itself as mysterious, beautiful, and full of possibility.
Color and Honor at “The Wall”
2016
Oil on canvas, 24 × 36 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a photograph taken at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., Color and Honor at “The Wall” depicts a ceremonial guard standing before the engraved names of those who did not return.
The vertical lines of flags rise against a dramatic field of color, contrasting movement and stillness, ceremony and silence. The painting was created during the 35th anniversary of the memorial—a moment of reflection on sacrifice and the long arc of national healing.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on remembrance as a shared emotional climate. Regardless of history’s debates, those who serve carry human cost. The act of honoring becomes less about politics and more about gratitude, loss, and the quiet dignity of acknowledgment.
Oil on canvas, 24 × 36 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a photograph taken at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., Color and Honor at “The Wall” depicts a ceremonial guard standing before the engraved names of those who did not return.
The vertical lines of flags rise against a dramatic field of color, contrasting movement and stillness, ceremony and silence. The painting was created during the 35th anniversary of the memorial—a moment of reflection on sacrifice and the long arc of national healing.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on remembrance as a shared emotional climate. Regardless of history’s debates, those who serve carry human cost. The act of honoring becomes less about politics and more about gratitude, loss, and the quiet dignity of acknowledgment.
Mata Hari
2017
Oil on canvas, 20 × 30 in
From the Human Weather series
Created during the centennial of her execution, Mata Hari is based on a historic black-and-white photograph of the dancer and alleged spy whose life and death became legend during World War I.
Rendered in luminous tones against a shifting background, the figure stands poised between allure and ambiguity. History remembers her as both seductress and scapegoat—an individual whose private actions were believed to have altered public events.
Within Human Weather, this painting reflects on unseen forces: the quiet decisions, hidden motives, and personal ambitions that ripple outward into collective consequence. Not all storms are visible as they gather; some form in private and reshape the horizon before anyone understands their scale.
Oil on canvas, 20 × 30 in
From the Human Weather series
Created during the centennial of her execution, Mata Hari is based on a historic black-and-white photograph of the dancer and alleged spy whose life and death became legend during World War I.
Rendered in luminous tones against a shifting background, the figure stands poised between allure and ambiguity. History remembers her as both seductress and scapegoat—an individual whose private actions were believed to have altered public events.
Within Human Weather, this painting reflects on unseen forces: the quiet decisions, hidden motives, and personal ambitions that ripple outward into collective consequence. Not all storms are visible as they gather; some form in private and reshape the horizon before anyone understands their scale.
Innocence
2015
Oil on canvas, 18 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Inspired by a photograph of the artist’s granddaughter playing in summer mist, Innocence captures a fleeting moment of pure delight. Sunlight filters through vapor as a child moves freely within it—laughing, dancing, suspended in the simple pleasure of being present.
The softened edges and warm glow evoke not only atmosphere, but emotional clarity. There is no past pressing in, no future demanding attention—only sensation, light, and joy.
Within Human Weather, this painting represents the earliest climate of life: wonder unshadowed by experience. It honors the fragile brilliance of childhood—radiant, immediate, and impossibly brief.
Oil on canvas, 18 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Inspired by a photograph of the artist’s granddaughter playing in summer mist, Innocence captures a fleeting moment of pure delight. Sunlight filters through vapor as a child moves freely within it—laughing, dancing, suspended in the simple pleasure of being present.
The softened edges and warm glow evoke not only atmosphere, but emotional clarity. There is no past pressing in, no future demanding attention—only sensation, light, and joy.
Within Human Weather, this painting represents the earliest climate of life: wonder unshadowed by experience. It honors the fragile brilliance of childhood—radiant, immediate, and impossibly brief.
Farewell Kiss
2017
Oil on canvas, 12 × 16 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a historic World War I photograph, Farewell Kiss captures a fleeting moment of intimacy before departure. A final embrace at the edge of a train car holds the weight of uncertainty—time suspended between presence and absence.
The figures lean toward one another with urgency and restraint, aware that what feels temporary may become permanent. The painting does not dramatize the moment; instead, it honors its quiet gravity.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on separation as an emotional climate—love tested by distance, hope shadowed by the unknown, and the fragile line between goodbye and farewell.
Oil on canvas, 12 × 16 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a historic World War I photograph, Farewell Kiss captures a fleeting moment of intimacy before departure. A final embrace at the edge of a train car holds the weight of uncertainty—time suspended between presence and absence.
The figures lean toward one another with urgency and restraint, aware that what feels temporary may become permanent. The painting does not dramatize the moment; instead, it honors its quiet gravity.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on separation as an emotional climate—love tested by distance, hope shadowed by the unknown, and the fragile line between goodbye and farewell.
Enlistment Day
2017
Oil on canvas, 16 × 20 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a World War I recruitment photograph, Enlistment Day portrays the charged moment of commitment. Figures gather at a recruitment table as names are signed and futures quietly altered.
The scene is both ceremonial and intimate. Pride, apprehension, resolve, and uncertainty coexist in the same space. The act of enlisting represents more than paperwork—it marks a willingness to exchange personal freedom for service to something believed to be greater.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on choice as an emotional climate. It honors the complexity of commitment—where courage and fear are not opposites, but companions.
Oil on canvas, 16 × 20 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a World War I recruitment photograph, Enlistment Day portrays the charged moment of commitment. Figures gather at a recruitment table as names are signed and futures quietly altered.
The scene is both ceremonial and intimate. Pride, apprehension, resolve, and uncertainty coexist in the same space. The act of enlisting represents more than paperwork—it marks a willingness to exchange personal freedom for service to something believed to be greater.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on choice as an emotional climate. It honors the complexity of commitment—where courage and fear are not opposites, but companions.
Sudden and Total Loss
2018
Oil on canvas, 18 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a local photograph of firefighters responding to a house fire, Sudden and Total Loss captures the violent urgency of flame against night. Figures move through smoke and heat as structure gives way to chaos.
The painting reflects a fear shared quietly by many—the abrupt erasure of shelter, memory, and the familiar architecture of daily life. Though no life may be lost, something deeply personal is altered in an instant.
Within Human Weather, this work represents rupture as an emotional climate. It honors both the fragility of what we build and the courage of those who step forward when everything is burning.
Oil on canvas, 18 × 24 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a local photograph of firefighters responding to a house fire, Sudden and Total Loss captures the violent urgency of flame against night. Figures move through smoke and heat as structure gives way to chaos.
The painting reflects a fear shared quietly by many—the abrupt erasure of shelter, memory, and the familiar architecture of daily life. Though no life may be lost, something deeply personal is altered in an instant.
Within Human Weather, this work represents rupture as an emotional climate. It honors both the fragility of what we build and the courage of those who step forward when everything is burning.
Embracing the Storms
2015
Oil on canvas, 11 × 14 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a photograph taken during a Nor’easter along the Delaware coast, Embracing the Storms depicts a couple standing at the edge of a wind-tossed ocean. Yellow slickers glow against the muted sky as clouds begin to thin and light quietly returns.
The figures do not retreat. Instead, they face the elements—feeling both the force and the beauty of what surrounds them. The painting balances turbulence with steadiness, exposure with companionship.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on resilience as an emotional climate. Some storms are unavoidable. The choice, at times, is not whether they come, but how we meet them.
Oil on canvas, 11 × 14 in
From the Human Weather series
Based on a photograph taken during a Nor’easter along the Delaware coast, Embracing the Storms depicts a couple standing at the edge of a wind-tossed ocean. Yellow slickers glow against the muted sky as clouds begin to thin and light quietly returns.
The figures do not retreat. Instead, they face the elements—feeling both the force and the beauty of what surrounds them. The painting balances turbulence with steadiness, exposure with companionship.
Within Human Weather, this work reflects on resilience as an emotional climate. Some storms are unavoidable. The choice, at times, is not whether they come, but how we meet them.
Ongoing series. New works added over time
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