A few years back, I was strolling along Madison Avenue when I happened upon an “up-scale” thrift store. There, perched high upon the wall was Blue Marilyn by Andy Warhol — a 25.5″X25.25″ reproduction shimmering in the low light. After no small amount of negotiations, $125 later I found myself with a fake Andy tucked under my arm, but six blocks from his old townhouse on Lex and 89th.
Our Broadway Bares adventure began when Ari Lankin painted an impromptu tatoo on the arm of a Kriss Angel dancer in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign. They suggested we paint live at Broadway Bares Las Vegas, which we did, at Planet Hollywood. A few weeks back, Ari received a call requesting the live-painting action for the fittingly named “Broadway Bares XXI: Masterpiece” at the Roseland Ballroom on Father’s Day (the Vegas installment was on Easter Sunday). And just like that, it was on.
After raising two children over 30 years, the Hoffman family has placed their house on the market. So, being commissioned to paint their storied home — theFlag House in Larchmont, New York was a special project. To truly comprehend the warm memories of this special place, I had the pleasure of spending an evening at the house, grilling, swimming and chatting with the family.
When you find yourself painting alongside the finest Vegas dancers in Las Vegas, live, at Planet Hollywood… it becomes a high-note on an already melodic adventure. Ari‘s chance meeting at The Welcome to Las Vegas sign lead to this particular charitable evening — Broadway Bares.
The Sahara hotel, slated to close forever next week, was the first location I was asked to leave. Anywhere. In the world.
Nine days in Vegas was the case that they gave me. Actually, it’s the trip I booked online.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada!
For years, this sign has been on my painting hit list. Finally, on an absurdly hot and windy pair of April Days in Vegas — it went down, and it was weird.
At the tail end of January, Ken Marquis hit me up about the landmark global artist reclamation project. In his words, “The project will involve one thousand and forty-one (1,041) artists worldwide. To date there are over nine hundred artists involved across 51 countries. This artist initiative is by far the largest undertaking of its kind.”
New Paintings. Works-in-Progress. Insider Art Market Information.
Another newsletter? You got that right. I'll honor and respect your inbox, as if it were my own. I endeavor to share everything happening at Borbay Studios & Gallery. No daily updates. No weekly updates. Simply a message, every month or two... updates on life, creativity, and the journey that began on July 2, 2009. Let's be in touch, as the first leg of my quest reaches completion in 2026. From a studio in my 600-foot Upper East Side apartment living room, to a museum collection. Oh, but friend, that is just the beginning. The road is long, and I am looking for cool, sophisticated company to navigate each challenging turn.
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