Whenever I return to Manhattan, I find myself wandering the streets… memories, flowing like wine. In November, I met good friend, Tony Black, for a pint of the dark stuff at Old Town. Before leaving, I told the owner, Fitz, “I’m going to paint your sign.”
They say, “do what you say you’re going to do,” so I did… and here was my source image.
My legally issued artistic license allows for interpretation. If you’d like to see the entire process in one minute in time lapse, narrated by yours truly… view this video… more of a photo and commentary person? Read on dear friend.
If you would have told me, “man, you’ll be a married father-of-two, living in Idaho by your 36th year”… I’d have replied, “whatcha talkin’ bout”, and called you Willis.
In August, I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with local landowner and thespian, Harrison Ford, at the Murie Ranch for the Spirit of Conservation Awards. My contribution was a commissioned, original painting — which was live auctioned by Larry Flynn to benefit the merged Teton Science Schools and Murie Center. Added bonus? Coraline is now a student at Teton Science.
If you’d like to see the entire work come together in one minute… check this time lapse.
In the summer of 2009, I painted the Guggenheim on a 30″X30″ canvas and practically sold it on the street. In 2010, I longed to paint the Gugg once more… but it felt wrong. Opportunistic.
Unless? I wondered… if I made a more serious commitment. And with that, I decided to paint a 30″X30″ Guggenheim, each summer, for 20 years. Today, I’m proud to share Guggenheim #8 — “The Neon Guggenheim”. Fittingly, this painting will debut at The National Arts Club in November, for the Accessible Art Fair.
MH the Verb sent me “Good Morning”, and, well, I couldn’t cut a single beat… so this video is long, strong and down to put the acrylic on. From MH, “‘Good Morning‘ perfectly exemplifies the collaborative style ArtHouse95 is all about. I produced the track featuring live bass from engineer, Dave Humes and layered drums. It’s pure Hip Hop… digging crates for the perfect sample, chopping the jazzy groove, and linking with two of Philadelphia’s most lyrical emcees – Drusef and Mic Stew. We wrote the song during a cloudy studio session a couple years ago while reflecting on our daily grind and ambition as artists. The homie, Kuf Knotz even had to make a guest appearance at the end. Overall, when the beat drops after the intro, you can feel the energy build… I just can’t wait for people to hear what comes next.
Enjoy… and do read on for an unusual painting recap.
It began with a tweet. Alan Rich responded, recommending yours truly — one hour later, I was on a call with Brian Reich of the UN Refugee Agency, discussing the project.
The concept? A New Yorker-inspired painting, addressing the Global Refugee Crisis. Brian’s original 9th Avenue World View idea, transformed to a modern take on the original New Yorker cover, featuring Eustace Tilley… the New York Dandy.
The neon train continues with this 14″X18″ canvas of Fedora — a West Village staple (now gratuity free).
This painting wasn’t going to happen. I was focused on moving our family from Minnesota to Idaho, when I completed packing five days early. A blank canvas taunts a painter like a blank page tortures the writer — so, I got to work.
Through a fortuitous introduction, I met Thane Stenner in Montreal. Following a presentation about my work, process and business model — we sat down for a long talk about life and art. Little did I know, this conversation would pave the way for a long term creative engagement. Thane had a vision — a commissioned painting of Jesus, with an emphasis on the concept of radiance.
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