Nothing beats a quick, fresh and loose plein air painting session on a Saturday. Setting up on my roof deck, I decided to capture the TriBoro Bridge (renamed the Robert F Kennedy Bridge in a fit of fine fiscal judgment by the perpetually frisky, former fat kat of Albany.) My objective was to keep it loose, explore and play with the paint without an preconceived notions.
When I had the incredible opportunity to experience the Stanley Cup, I asked Cup-Keeper Mike Bolt (his father, Ron Bolt, is an epic artist) to recommend a goaltending subject… his referral was no surprise. Martin Brodeur, The Devils and Goaltending have been three in the same for 19 years. At this juncture in his career, he is fighting rumors of an early demise, despite shattering records and posting consistent numbers. This, I felt, was the right time to capture Marty.
On Friday, I spent the day painting the Thomas Jefferson Memorial from the Tidal Basin. Visiting my brother, Tim, who is a Junior at American University, I enjoyed a windy day of plein air in our nations capital. My intent was to capture the Cherry Blossoms, but they were swept away in a violent storm the day before I set up shop.
My 3’X4′ painting of Time Out New York‘s 12th story view is now complete. A little back story: After being named Time Out New York’s Most Creative New Yorker (a title I do not sew onto my blazer, but do use to help sell paintings and commissions) – I decided to ask Time Out if I could set up shop, and paint the view from their West Side offices. After getting the go-ahead in December, I broke my leg playing hockey and had to wait three more months.
When Dave, Randi and I began discussing a commissioned piece, I asked them to think of meaningful places in Manhattan. After a few back and forth emails, they decided on the place they were married – the South Street Seaport. To get things rolling, I spent a sunny afternoon taking shots in the area from about twenty different angles. From there, I narrowed-down, cropped and emailed six choices to the Wenders.
And the Central Park Boathouse commission is now complete. To recap: In early January, Stephanie, Scott and Ryan (their son) Gurtman came by my studio for an up-close-and-personal view of my work. With a vision of a painting in mind, we discussed a commissioned piece and the Gurtman’s decided to give the image some thought. The initial concept of painting J.G. Melon shifted to the Central Park Boathouse, they place they were married.
After the incredible Urbania ride, words cannot describe how much I enjoyed getting back to painting. I began painting this prior to my collage painting portrait, but it sat idle, unfinished. With time, it has undergone an interesting journey – there was some darkness and this 18″X24″ canvas was the recipient.
Continuing on my new collage series, I decided to create a self portrait. With nothing but time – thanks broken leg – I decided to tackle a large-scale, three-by-four-foot format. Here it is, a portrait of the artist as a not so young man – comprised of the printed page, clippings from @TheNewYorkPost – which one day in the near future will no longer be in print, but rather illuminated on a digital screen. Read more
Instead of tossing my daily delivery of the New York Post, I decided to turn them into art. My lady Erin gifted yours truly six 18″X24″ canvases for Christmas, a perfect size for collage paintings in a growing series. This set came to be after I spent some time looking at a piece I made back in 2003 (below) over the holidays.
The New York Post + US Weekly + Acrylic Paint + Californication + Dexter = Christmas Painting Collage. As always, a traditional Borbay Christmas consists of the important ingredients as listed in the mathematical equation above. After the jump, my stream of conscious collage painting.
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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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