I’m delighted to share my latest portrait — ‘Bene’, an 30″X30″, Acrylic Collage-Painting on Belgian Linen. A dear friend, Bene and I met out on the golf course… and, for the record — if I’m within 15 strokes of Bene, it’s a damn good day for yours truly.
Here is the entire creation process captured in time lapse… come for the visuals, stay for the mellifluous soundtrack, courtesy of my new friend Kaze. (check him out!)
I had the great honor of being commissioned by the Robert I. Schattner Foundation, to create a collage painting of the late Doctor Robert I. Schattner. From humble beginnings, Dr. Schattner went on to invent, and sell, Chloraseptic. From there, he carefully charted stocks, and steadily built a portfolio that ultimately made him a 51% shareholder of Hancock, and one of the wealthiest people in Washington. Today, the University of Pennsylvania’s Dental School bears his name.
Dr. Schattner’s journey is explored in this painting.
https://www.facebook.com/borbay/videos/1825834764166834/
Here is the entire creative process, distilled into 50 seconds. Now, let’s take a close look at the man whose world was guided by serendipity.
Moving out West from Manhattan, if I set-up shop and began painting pastoral cowboy scenes… they’d (literally) run me out of town, on a rail. No. That wouldn’t work. So… over the past two years… I’ve been trying to identify my vision of the West, through the lens of the East. Finally — the epiphany — Western Cowboys from the silver screen, in front of famous NYC neons. My first? Gary Cooper, from The Westerner, on his horse, in front of the Seinfeld Diner — Monk’s (actually, Tom’s Restaurant).
The narrative? Gary arrives at Monk’s, unannounced, for a drop-in with Jerry. Jerry offers Gary a bowl of cereal. Gary offers Jerry a smoke. They both decide this isn’t working out (it’s not like Gary asked for help moving, right Keith Hernandez?)… so Gary jumps on his horse, in search a gunfight… something ‘The Westerner’ was missing.
https://www.facebook.com/borbay/videos/1648992768517702/
Check the entire process inside a hot minute, soundtrack courtesy of Gato Loco. And, pardner, do read-on for more process.
I first set foot on Boston University’s campus as a 17-year-old, 123-pound runner, looking to channel the Terrier. Despite graduating from the College of Fine Arts, I never painted live on the streets of Boston.
So, when I found myself in town for the first time in ten years… I decided to rectify this egregious error. With my penchant for neon, and the recent drama surrounding Citgo… the subject chose me.
“You said you’d never paint animals!”
“I never said that.”
Actual quote from the Jackson Hole News & Guide, “There’s this notion of Western art and these traditional scenes with cowboys and Indians and I feel like the same bear and wolf have been painted maybe a thousand times,” (Borbay) said. “I love signage. I’m a city guy at heart. I want to bring my vision here. I’m not going to go and start painting just a bunch of straight-up animal scenes to cater to the market.”
Mmmm, those words are delicious. And so is the mythological Jackalope.
https://www.facebook.com/borbay/videos/1345718422178473/
Let’s get back to square one, and watch this baby come together in time lapse… another beauty of a soundtrack from MH the Verb! Oh, and do read on for the hop-by-hop recap.
Allow me to introduce the Four Winds, Jackson Hole. This 48″X48″, acrylic on canvas neon painting has been dying to meet you.
Would you like to see how this baby came together in one minute?
It was a magical three months in Jackson Hole. The country was gorgeous, and inspiration ran deep. Early in our adventure, we took a trip to Teton National Park… there, I captured a moment of Coraline taking in the majestic Tetons.
I’ve always been fairly obsessed with neon signage… hence my numerous trips to Las Vegas. In downtown Jackson Hole, you can spot several glowing gems, such as the oft-painted Cowboy Bar… and the Antler Inn. There is something about a dramatic sign in the night sky.
I spent the first 8 years of my adult life in the Upper East Side… so, it would seem fitting that my first painting started and completed in Minnesota would be this Upper East Side Town House. The source image was captured on the 4th of July… two days after my Independence Day — clandestine all around.
When I was commissioned by Matt and Allison to create a Jackson Hole-inspired painting, they wanted me to experience things for myself, so it was wheels up, next stop Wyoming.
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