Montreal painter  

creepy huh?
It is easy to see the same painter in both paintings. (Of course you telling us also doesn't hurt!)
The "creepy" blue hunched over guy is painted with a similar "directness" that shows up even more in the patchwork abstraction.
They both seem honest with the brushstrokes. (You know, that whole 50's vibe of celebrating "paint-for-paint's-sake". The abstraction hangs together fairly well, and is my favorite of the two. (except for where the black got into the yellow and it went "bile green" on him!) The yellows are pretty out of the tube and a bit strong perhaps.
It seems that most people (especially casual participants) relate to representation more than abstraction. Just easier I guess.

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I like the first one very much PG...
I can't tell if it's an older man with a goatee, or a priest with a collar, either way it looks like an enormous bottle of liquor is the monkey on his back.
How wonderful to have something from your parents early days. Whenever I see things my parents collected when they were starting out, it reminds me they were young once too...sometimes I forget that...

Just curious is the artist...
Just curious is the artist name Suliman or Suuman? Both are reasonable surnames but I can't tell which is written.
(edited a typo)

eameshead
thank you for your thoughtful comments. you're right about everything, in my opinion. in the case of these paintings, it's hard for me to separate my own familiarity with the pieces - I grew up with them, and the quality of the work 🙂

solange!
thanks 🙂 funny, all my toronto friends like the man (kind of resembles the Ikea Monkey, who I read today, is not being released to it's owner). right! drinking man, with big bottle of plonk, likely.
100%. my parents were young? i totally forget that. i'll post some things when i get the chance to photograph them from my folks. My uncle was a cabinet maker at Spanner furniture. My dining room (hutch, table, chairs, liquor cabinet) all his work. "we really wanted Danish teak furniture but we got a discount through your uncle" (my mom). p.s. they're in serious need of some finish love.

artist
Suliman and according to my mom, Suliman was a woman 🙂

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Lucky you!
Russell Spanner is no slouch :-)... I've seen some terrific pieces..

russell
yeah, true. my pieces are not the iconic Catalina form. In fact, I've never seen them anywhere. Looks like Rosewood veneer. Anyhow, I digress. next time! Even then, all about the affordability.