New Painting & UW-Parkside 'Figure Studies' Exhibit

Just finished my first painting of 2014. It's also the first non-commissioned painting I've done in over a year.  The title is "Ready Steady."

I had to transport it the same day I finished, so no real photos yet—BUT here she is in my backseat on her way to ArtWorks. No seat belt! F the law!

Now she's headed to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Foundation Gallery for...

"Figure Studies" 
An exhibit highlighting "Two Nudes with Oak Stool and Canvas", a lithograph by noted realist artist Philip Pearlstein. In the UW-Parkside collection, artists present their own figure studies. Images in the exhibition invite discussion of the cultural meaning of sexuality, censorship, violence and abstraction. Curated by Kenosha artist and business owner Chet Griffith.

Show dates: February 4th through March 23rd
Reception: March 7th,  6pm-8pm

Breaking News: Anderson Cooper Sniffed My Art

On Thursday, January 3rd 2012, THIS aired on national television:

And—sitting on my couch that morning in my pajamas—this is what happened to my mind:

The star of Clarissa Explains It All (the coolest show in the entire world when I was 9 years old) held my painting and Anderson Cooper SAID MY FULL NAME and did not butcher it.

They both complimented my artistic skills and proceeded to sniff a portrait that I painted. This all happened for—oh—a good minute or two on national television.

Mind blown. No words. :)

Portrait of Anderson Cooper (in Coffee)

After many years of sitting on the floor and propping canvases against the back of my kitchen chair, I finally broke down and bought a nice easel from Utrecht. Painting is much MUCH easier now so I plan to do more of it. 

Hopefully uploading more in the next month. Here's one I did for fun...

*UPDATE: He came out of the closet one week after I posted this, therefore I take full responsibility. Congrats Anderson :)

** MEGA UPDATE!  This painting was featured on ANDERSON LIVE on ABC on 1/3/2013! Ahhh!

NEW! The Coffee Series

Last month, I started a new series of paintings that successfully mixes two of my loves... (no, not sailors and mashed potatoes)...

Portrait-painting and coffee.

Painting with coffee is excellent because :

1) when dry, the canvas smells delicious

2) Folgers is MUCH cheaper than oil paint

I brought my first three portraits (including 'Nesbit', right) to the MESH Haiti benefit and enjoyed letting everyone smell them.

ExposeKenosha's Lester Pitz reviewed them in his column 'Lester Says'!

Check it out here.

Time Lapse Mural

Here's a little video from 2006, showing me and one of my old roommates painting a mural of one of my favorite pin-up paintings by Enoch Bolles.

And the cat isn't bleeding-- she just tried eating some of the red paint:

"Paxten"

Just finished this oil portrait commission.

This little guy's name is Paxten and his aunt is giving him this painting for his 1st birthday.

(We added his favorite stuffed monkey and matched the background to his nursery.)

Happy 1st Paxten! Better keep this hanging in your room until you're 45!