Done!

I finished my Beastie Boys Bananas! The ground is a little more blueish than the image suggests. I took the pic in my studio tonight so the color isn't the best but you can get the idea. By the way, if you're wondering "Beastie Boy Bananas?" see my previous posting for explanation.

Bananas!

Started this last night. It's for a show in L.A. at Gallery 1988 on January 8th 2009. The show is titled "Under the Influence: A tribute to the Beastie Boys". Hmm, you're probably thinking "what the hell does this have to do with the Beastie Boys??!" Here's my idea: I was struggling trying to think of ideas that would represent the B Boys the best the way I could without being too obvious and boring, I'm a big fan you know. Well, one day after work it struck me. Bananas! These guys are straight up bananas! So, I decided to paint a still life (which I love to do anyway) and title it "Bananas Since Birth". That sums it up.

Update

Just finished these two commissions last week. They're both 18x18.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

On the easel right now.

Update

Here's a Raven I've been working on.

Zonotrichia albicollis

Here are two White-throated Sparrows I'm currently working on. It's 36x36.

Public Art

I've had this project I've been wanting to do with a friend of mine for a while. We haven't been able to get together and actually do it yet, but in due time. The project is to take high quality images of posters on the subway platform that have been worn and torn. Seriously it's like public art, but not necessarily intentional street art. This has a more organic quality in that it's living. Everyday here in NY we pass these beautiful creations during our commutes. They are constantly evolving with layers and layers of posters being peeled away (most likely due to boredom waiting for the train) revealing images, shapes, textures and color of past advertisements, scribbles and doo-dads all the while creating these wonderful abstract images that mimic the grandiose of a Motherwell or the beautiful violence of a Bacon. I would love to some day publish a book of these images according to different subway lines. Anyway, in the meantime here's some quick pics I recently took in Brooklyn for inspiration. I can't help but notice these wherever I go. It's almost like an obsession for me.

Prints Available!

Yep, there are several different prints available of my work. I struck up a deal with the good people at Artaissance who have been featured in numerous interior design publications and deal with the high end framing company Larson-Juhl. The cool thing is that you can order the prints in various sizes or customize your own. They're printed to order on either paper or canvas. This is the first time I have had prints available of my work. I'm excited to reach a larger audience and see the response. Go out and tell everyone you know about this, it's huge! You can view the available work here: www.artthatfits.com/art/Artists.aspx?Artistid=6418707&bio=1

Pitohui dichrous

Working on this right now. It's 24x24 acrylic on canvas. You know, I've been doing a lot more reading and research on different species of birds and the history of bird art. I guess you can say I'm a "late bloomer" on this but I have been finding a certain connection to the history of bird art and my own. This connection has created an internal dialogue which has opened my thinking to vast possibilities. As a visual artist I have been trying to figure out how to compose images that evoke beauty, visual pleasure, and ambiguity and at the same time progress in my own thinking. This is what my work has been about. It has taken some time for me to really be confident in writing about my work rather than letting the image speak for itself. Although, as Francis Bacon put it "If you can talk about it, why paint it?"

This particular bird (Hooded Pitohui) resides in the tropics New Guinea. What's interesting is that this heavily built beautiful bird is known to have feathers and skin that is toxic to humans.

Hawk

Working on this right now. It's 24x24.

Still Moving Along

Studio pic update. I'm working on these twelve pieces consecutively. There's three 36x36, three 24x24's and six 12x12's. Things have been moving a little slow lately, but I'm getting momentum now!

Featured in Castle Magazine!

I'm featured in Castle magazines newest issue! Castle is an online art magazine that comes in pdf format, free to download. They're based out of Germany and showcase a wide array of artists and styles that cross boundaries between Illustration and Fine Art . Patrick Hartl is showcased in this issue and is one of the main heads there that approached me. Good looking out Patrick! Check it out at: http://www.castlemagazine.de/#head1

12x12

a little further along. here's one of six 12x12's i have going right now. still in progress.

progress

Here's some more images of my progress on the two 36x36 and six 12x12's I've been working on.

CRAZY4CULT2!

Gallery 1988 just recently posted images of works in their Crazy4Cult2 show. I must say that I'm really happy to a part of this awesome show! You can check out the work here: http://www.crazycult2.blogspot.com/ This is definitely their best show thus far.

And it goes...

An update of the two 36x36 pieces from my last post.

In the studio

Here's what's going on in the studio right now. The set of six are 12x12 and the other two are 36x36. I have been approaching the work more intuitively than before. I'm excited to see where these go. For me these current pieces have been very liberating. They're pretty early in the process so far. It's interesting to see your own work go in directions you would've never thought.

At work waiting to go home and paint.

Nuevo

Here are individual images from two posts ago. They're each 36x36 acrylic on canvas. They will be in a show next month at Chysalis Gallery (631-287-1883) in Southampton, NY.

CEREBROS!

Here's an update on my zombie I'm working on.

Update

Here's what I've been working on. I did a little photo collage in Photoshop. Unfortunately some of the works came out a bit distorted but you get the idea. These are going to be in a show next month at Chrysalis Gallery in Southampton, NY. I'll get individual images soon.

Long time no see...

Please excuse the delay in posts. Things have been on hiatus due to losing our camera and just being plain busy. Nonetheless, I've purchased a nice Cannon Powershot 1100 that takes awesome pics! I'll be posting some new stuff soon. In the meantime I have an in progress image of a 30x40 zombie I'm doing for Gallery 1988 in L.A. It's going to be in their show "Crazy4Cult". It's over 100 artists doing their take on cult movies. My piece is my homage George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. It's called "Neccesite Mas Cerebros!"It's one of their biggest events with a lot of media coverage. I'm REALLY excited to be part of this show. This will be my fourth or fifth time showing at 1988. They put on some really awesome shows. Check em out: http://www.nineteeneightyeight.com/

Lemon

Here's a small still life I did for my father. I really miss doing still life's and plan to paint a series of fruit when I get a chance. It's fascinating to observe a single object and try to bring life on a flat surface by orchestrating elements of color that were previously dead in their tube. The size is 5.5 x 7 Acrylic on 300lb Arches paper.

Semblage

Here are three 36x36 landscapes titled "Semblage 11,12,13" I titled them Semblage because they're more of an assemblage of ideas rather than an actual representation of a landscape. These will be going to Summa Gallery here in the Upper West Side.

MOCCA Festival

Some pics from the MOCCA (museum of cartoon and comic book art) Festival this past weekend. These fine gentlemen are the creators of Calavera Comics. We had a blast. Check out the goods: http://www.calaveracomics.com/