My Pet Portrait Poster

"Sun Child"

8'x8' Watercolor 140lb coldpress canvas
July 2011

Back to my roots. I have mentioned my love for watercolor, but what I have not mentioned is the inspiration behind my interest which was Fashion Photography. Patrick Demarchelier and Peter Lindbergh in particular.
I think it was the striking, bold, high contrast and sometimes backlit scenes that captured a moment that I found irresistible to paint. There was no other vehicle I wanted to use for this exploration of photography than watercolor. Using the white of the watercolor canvas, the way the clean sharp lines also complement its transparency...watercolor just lends itself so naturaly to these references. It was where I lived. I was/am so hooked. Patrick Nagel inspired me to draw, Demarchelier and Lindbergh inspired me to paint.

"Bull Dog Pup"

9'x11' graphite on paper

Dads Anniversary Gift

Before

After

This project was my Moms gift to my dad. Restoration of this photo of him in his twenties taken around the time him and my Mom met. He had hung onto it for years sadly referring to it as irreparable because the damage was across his face over his eyes. We've always known this photo meant a lot to him so, I had a good time restoring it knowing he had no idea it was being worked on, nor that restoration was even possible. He almost cried when he opened it. I am showing it here with a black/grey background but now that we have a digital file of just his figure, his image could be put on any background. We are trying it out on a variety of background colors to print out and add to the family photos hanging in the homes of all of my siblings 

Why Aren't We Talking About Regenerative Medicine?

I am not good at relationships that involve copious amounts of small talk, I need to talk about important issues. So, when I hear "respected" news programs mention the latest pop culture train wreck and what they may have worn to court, I panic a little inside, I feel sick, i feel cheated, I feel as though I am the only one who has noticed that our bus driver has mental illness and we are gaining excessive speed and will soon barrel through a daycare. Exactly who is responsible for my Dad...who only watches local news, knowing who these fashionable sex tape people are? Shouldn't that stuff be quarantined to those entertainment news or magazine shows?  Then, when they can tell its all becoming a bit too much, they report on "too much celeb. media reporting". If I did have the names of those responsible for this mess, I would bombard  them articles like this one: please read this article  and  I would demand they make more of an effort to create a buzz around how Pig Bladders can help grow a burn victims face back (I hope pig bladders become more famous than pop idols) and how as-we-speak, there is life changing/saving work being done in Regenerative medicine. Then maybe they will be sick from shame at reporting on anything less important.....................................what are you doing? Go read that article.....please.

quick sketch "Brussels Griffon"

9'x9' watercolor on 140lb coldpress paper

My Mom walked in on while I was painting this and said "oh my goodness, that is the ugliest dog! what is it!?!"
I told her it was a Brussels Griffon, and that I planed on getting one. She proceeded to tell me it has a "spider face" LoL.  

"The Lean In"

9'x12' watercolor 140lb cold press paper

"Chuck"

Black Lab "chuck"  9'x10' watercolor on 140lb coldpress 

I have been working on a "pet portrait poster" in order to take to dog parks in my area, hoping to generate a local pet portrait following. I painted pets I know personally, and also googled images of dogs. This painting of a Black Lab I am now calling Chuck, is from one of those random images...so I thought. A couple days after painting him, I saw a family on the news whose Black Lab named Chuck returned home, four years after he had gone missing. Of course I immediately connected my painting to the story, and knew this painting now had a name. The timing was just too perfect. 

commissioned portrait "CT"

9'x11' graphite on paper

Alas! I post! I hope all is well, I am glad to see I have a couple of new followers, thanks, and welcome. 

Once in a while my craigslist ads actually bring in work, this was one of those times. Portrait of CT from Queens, NY.  Artist often have to live on a lot less than one may think, as in some cases people live from paycheck to paycheck, the majority of us artist live from painting to painting (or in my case portrait to portrait) and then hope we can buy more materials. So free advertising is a real blessing.

Here, play this...

http://www.malevole.com/mv/misc/killerquiz/   ugh! so sorry I haven't had time to post any new paintings, but , here is something that may distract you. Try it and post your score in the comments. Yes its sort of involves serial murderers but, it also confirms that you should indeed, "trust your gut" (my score 6/10) 

"Ruffles" (work in progress)

"Ruffles" 11'x15' watercolor (work in progress)

This is Ruffles, she is our 9 yr old Shih Tzu (who is convinced she is human) taking one of her eleven or so naps during the day. 

Melancholy Conan

"Conan O'brien" 9'x11 graphite on paper

I have been busy working on a commissioned painting that, as a matter of  fact, I should be finishing right now but, I felt the urge to post, especially now that I have my first follower (Hi John). In going through my sketch book I realized I had this drawing of Conan hidden away in there. It is evidence of  how I began to miss Conan about 3 months into the year that he had to take off  between his shows, and from his demeanor and expression in this photo, as he drinks his coffee and sat on a fence against the brick wall of his new set, it looked as though he missed his old routine as well.