Plaza Art - Rockville Workshop

Thanks to all who attended the workshop at Plaza Art last weekend! It was a pretty intensive two days, but I believe everyone got something out of it that they'll be able to use in future work. As always, there was a range of experience from those who have just begun to explore watercolor, to those who are accomplished painters. One nice thing about art is that it's a bit like golf: you're really playing against yourself, not the rest of the group. This makes it possible for people of all levels to participate together, and have good a time. Many of the artists are members of watercolor societies in the DC area, and one person came down from New York.

Thanks also to Da Vinci Paints for providing their fabulous products!

The two Plaza Art workshops I've done filled quickly, so they're having me back a third time this year - probably in October. Information will be posted here and on my website as it becomes available.

5 Minutes Past the Big Hour of 5 O'Clock

Everything I knew about comedy growing up came from four people: Johnny Carson, Don Knotts, Tom Lehrer, and George Carlin. As a kid, my friends and I devoured stuff like George's AM/FM, Class Clown, Toledo Windowbox, etc. and thrilled at his cynical, irascible, irreverent hipness. He was the guy who talked about stuff nobody else did, and gave us the inside scoop - inspiring us to question the Establishment and Status Quo, while keeping us in stitches. Carlin's delivery, incomparable gift for dialect and inflection, and special quirk for observational humor set the standard for generations of comedians and fans that followed. As a friend wrote me today, "we're outliving all the good ones." Who could ever replace these people? Tom Lehrer is the only one left who played such a part part in shaping my appreciation for comedic genius, and understanding the world around us. We love and miss you George, and we're better people for having you in our lives. Bon voyage.

P.S. Bing bong!

Watercolor Artist Magazine - August 2008

The new August issue of Watercolor Artist magazine has a very good article on framing, written by editor Kelly Kane. I contributed my thoughts and methods re framing large scale work, and part of that is highlighted on page 67; pictured is my painting Summer Sonata.

In the same issue is another new ad from Da Vinci Paints on page 15. I created the examples shown as "Watercolor Effects with Da Vinci Fluid Acrylics."

Dallas

Just finished a 5-day workshop at Artists' Showplace, a vibrant and successful partnership gallery hosting workshops and keeping the watercolor scene (and other mediums) happening in these parts. A great group of people that also included a half-dozen online friends of mine - most of whom I met here for the first time....a bit of a family reunion, and a chance to make 20 more new friends. Many are experienced painters, and one is even a signature member of AWS and NWS. I was kept on my toes the whole week, and I know we're all exhausted....but happy. We painted in watercolor and acrylic watercolor using Da Vinci Fluid Acrylic. This was an eye-opener to many who discovered what is arguably the wave of the future in watermedia ....and I think there are some converts.

I want to thank all who participated....many travelled from other areas of Texas, Tucson, and Little Rock. Artists' Showplace has invited me back, and maybe we'll schedule again for next year - I'd love to return! I recommend the venue for any workshop lover, and want to remind that Arnold Lowrey will be returning there in September, and Sandy Maudlin will be teaching a Yupo class there in 2009.

Y'all were so nice, I don't want to leave today!

"Nassau #1: Discount Warehouse"

Nassau #1: Discount Warehouse 41" x 41" 2008

I posted the second picture in this series several weeks ago, and mentioned that it makes more sense if you see this one first. Anyway, this is composed from two shots I took in Nassau last February. The figure is a young man in his school uniform, necktie undone, who was waiting with a group of other students for a bus. I liked the profile I captured, and how his hand was raised to his mouth. I also liked the sign of the nearby Discount Warehouse, so combined them. It's painted on 140 lb. Fabriano Artistico paper with Da Vinci watercolors.

Framed, 48" x 49"

"The Alchemist"

The Alchemist is a song I wrote and recorded (all guitars, all instruments/sequencing, etc) several years ago for a Ringling Art School promotional film. This track is also used in my new Innovative Watermedia DVD which is now in stock at Creative Catalyst Productions. The DVD is the only one of its type with original music, as far as I know. We thought it would be effective for the production, and I hope everyone likes it.

Click on the arrow to play. (turn up your speakers!)

Watercolor Workshops - Dallas and Rockville

I have a 5-day workshop at Artists' Showplace in Dallas, June 9-13. This workshop is sold out, but there is a waiting list - see the contact info on their site if you're interested. I visited Artists' Showplace last year while Arnold Lowrey was teaching there, and it's a very impressive facility with a large gallery and lots of members. Arnold will also be returning there this year, and another hugely-talented friend, Sandy Maudlin, will be doing a Yupo class there next year.

Plaza Art in Rockville invited me back to do a 2-day workshop, June 21-22. This workshop sold out again, but there is also a waiting list. See contact info on their site if you are interested.

Special thanks to Da Vinci Paints for sponsoring these workshops and providing samples of their products!

"Innovative Watermedia" DVD Released

Innovative Watermedia, my DVD from Creative Catalyst Productions is now available! They are taking pre-orders and offering $5 off - click here for the page on the CCP site.

Another trailer has been posted on Youtube, see below.

There is also a trailer on Vimeo.

I think the DVD was worth the wait....there was an enormous amount of footage and CCP is very exacting about editing, sound, and graphics. It was a shot on a set made especially for this project, and it also features my own original music. (I don't think anyone else out there has done that) I'm really happy and proud to be on the CCP roster of artists, and look forward to doing more with them in the future. They're the best!

Ocean City Workshop

I taught a sold out workshop for the Art League of Ocean City this week, a very nice group of painters with approximately 400 members. We had all levels of experience, including a stunning 18 year old girl who had never painted watercolor before. I'm determined to get more younger people into watercolor and this was a promising start! Thanks to the organizers for getting it all together, and I must say that even though ALOC is looking for a new, larger location, the present facility is one of the nicest I've seen.

A special thanks to Ann H. who made her spectacular beachside condo available to us (I brought Olga and Larissa) for not only the workshop, but insisted we stay on as long as we like. So we have, and waking up to this view every morning is a great way to start the day. Thank you Ann!

Ocean City can be a pretty wild place, and the famous boardwalk is a spectacle unto itself - the pier, the amusement park, and a cross-section of humanity that makes for entertaining people-watching. This weekend there is a classic car convention going on, and there are over 3000 street rods from several neighboring states roaring up and down the strip. Luckily our condo is well removed from the hubbub, because the sound is deafening!

The Ocean City "Fine Art Center" on the Boardwalk!

Guitar Students - WEHT?

I taught well over 1000 private guitar students in Florida during the 80s and 90s. Unfortunately I didn't keep track the first few years, so this list has only 800+. Besides guitarists, there are also saxophonists, trumpeters, flutists, etc to whom I taught theory and improvisation. Many of these people were playing gigs at the time, or went on to music school, bands, recording, etc. There were also a good number of professionals - doctors, lawyers, businessmen, a few sports stars - who really got into it, and some of them became quite good. A handful have remained long steady friends, and I've heard from a number of others over the years, but I thought having a list of the names in one place might bring a few more out of the woodwork. If you studied with me, or know someone who did, please write!

Jeff Albrecht, Stephen Alderfer, John Allaman, John Altman, Jean Alton, Nancy Alvis, Kim Alvis, Kaz Alvis, Kate Ambuehl, Kraemer Anderson, Nick Andros, A J Anspaugh, Rico Antonelli, Eva Arfa, Tim Argie, Danny Arliss, Colin Arnstein, Ron Arsenault, Robert Ashe, Trey Ashley, Penny Austin, Ken Avedisian, Dawn Avis

Jim Babcock, Vosie Babcock, Eric Bach, Richard Bachschmidt, Brad Baker, Jeff Baker, Doug Baldwin, Art Balitz, Andrew Ball, Greg Band, Mike Barbaro, Megan Barber, Mike Barberio, Matt Barfield, Sam Bargouthi, Shahir Bargouthi, Todd Barr, Chas Barton, Dustin Barzell, Sam Bass, Brain Bauer, Dan Bauerkemper, Rill Baxter, Rick Beasley, Brett Beauchamp, Ellen Behnke, Greg Bell, Beadie Bennett, Edgar Bennett, Craig Benoit, Carol Bentele, Daniel Berlin, Jason Berlin, Mark Bernstein, Steve Bernstein, Andy Berster, Gary Besemer, Lorenza Bethel, Eric Bethel, Trish Biggar, Jack Binns, Scott Bishpham, Eric Blackmon, David Blezins, Andrew Blix, John Bobrowich, Justin Boczar, Sean Boice, Pat Boling, Sean Bommarito, Chris Bono, Stacy Bono, Merlin Bontrager, Mark Borgmeyer, Robert Bortell, Rick Borus, Jill Boutton, John Bowman, Jim Bowman, Kathleen Brass, Eric Bridwell, Chris Brown, Jordan Brown, Tony Brown, Katy Browning, David Brownley, Chris Brzoza, Mario Brunari, Eddie Buckmaster, Gene Burgess, James Burgess, Charlie Burton, Jim Burzinski, Jason Butcher, Tom Butler, Paul Butterfield, Jack Byers

Neal Cabibbo, Jim Calhoun, Stephanie Capelle, Paul Carico, Dan Carlton, James Carnahan, Steve Caron, Dave Caron, Randy Carr, Brendan Carr, Shane Carr, Mark Carr, Jeff Carson, Cindy Carter, David Cash, Dave, Cash, Richard Cashmore, Herman Cassen, Rick Cast, Chris Catanzaro, Joey Caudill, Barbara Chamberlin, Terry Chancey, Ryan Chapman, Tami Chapman, Ian Cherry, Brent Cheyne, Dave Chmela, Bill Chrisco, Ron Christaldi, Byron Christianoudis, Tom Christie, Mike Christner, Deana Ciccarelli, Mark Circone, Greg Cirillo, Tara Clancey, Marie Clark, Sandy Clark, Mark Clements, Matthew Clippard, Jared Cogar, Erica Cole, Rick Collett, Troy Conley, Jim Conway, Travis Cook, Dave Cook, Brian Cookman, Dawn Corapi, Gene Corbett, Les Corbett, Tim Cosentino, Ray Coulson, Ken Crawford, Mike Croce, Joe Crooks, Rick Crowe, Oswaldo Cruz, Brad Cuickshank, Amy Cunningham, Chad Cunningham, Phil Cuva

Tracy Daisley, Sean Danahy, James David, Matt Davidson, Jennifer Davies, Andrew Davis, Colin Davis, Bill Davis, Joey Davis, Samantha Davis, Richard Dawson, Art Day, Patti Deer, Pat Del Mastro, Earl DeJonge, Mike DePalmer, Michelle Detweiler, Cher DiBattista, Mark Dickson, Jenny Dillon, Joe Dina, John Divesti, Scott Dixon, Andy Doane, Erno Dolfi, Steven Dominick, Gabe Donihi, Sean Donovan, Daryl Doquette, Matt Drews, Woody Drobia, Frank Duke, Kurt Duncan, Nathan Dunn, Rolley Dunn, Steve Dupper, Matthew Durrell, Sean Duvall, Jeff Dwyer

Reggie Ebersole, Kathy Ecker, Rachel Edidin, Bill Elliott, Peggy Elsberry, Richard Emery, Paul Enander, Nick Engelman, Fred Engels, Joe Enger, Bill English, Tim Entwistle, Stephanie Erb, Dan Erdahl, Jim Eslinger, Kurt Espenship, Adam Etsell, Mike Evans

Harry Fagar, Tommy Faircloth, Jeff Farinholt, Sara Farrell, Kurt Faulkner, Joel Feder, Noah Feldman, Rick Fellinger, Mike Fenzl, Doug Ferguson, Eric Ferguson, Juan Fernandez, Brian Fetty, Bob Fieberts, Worth Fiers, John Finch, Mike Finch, Mike Fixler, Seth Fleming, Stasha Foley, Lana Foote, John Ford, Jon Fountain, Manny Fox, Ron Fox, David Foxall, Art Frenz, Mark Frickel, Dennis Fried, Izzy Friedman, Larry Fields, Zach Frignoca, Jennifer Fry

Tony Galloni, Kevin Gannon, John Garner, Michelle Garnier, Terry Garrett, Ben Garrison, Ray Gay, Jerry Gay, Mike Gedovin, Rutann Geis, Gary Gell, David Gendel, Barry Gerber, Chuck Giallombardo, Scott Gibson, Mike Gifford, Max Ginnis, Josh Glassberg, Misha Glezin, John Glick, Jim Glover, Tim Glynn, Todd Goldstein, Lawrence Gould, Doug Graham, Ray Grandle, Fred Graswald, Mark Grayson, Chris Green, Holly Greenwald, Jill Greenwald, Nick Grieco, Martin Gromer, Jason Grossman, Stuart Gurley

Tom Hack, Jay Hafele, Ian Hale, Mark Hamel, Joseph Hamilton, Michele Hanna, Ted Hanshaw, Lucy Hardy, Tory Hardy, Tad Harger, Chris Harper, Dale Harris, Shane Hartman, Manton Hastings, Bev Hatt, Anne Haughwout, Rex Haupt, Linda Haws, Stuart Hayes, Shamus Healey, Scott Heaps, Danny Heaton, Debbie Heber, Matt Heitel, Steve Helm, Cornelia Hendry, Hugh Henningson, Joe Henry, Jennifer Herman, Mike Herrygers, Laura Hettema, Darla Hibbs, John Hicks, Richard Hilary, Tom Hirsch, Carl Hodges, Pat Hoganscamp, Justin Holcomb, Hugh Holmes, Hugh Holmes Jr., Bobby Hoppy, Jim Hopper, Mike Horlick, Will Horton, Steve Howard, Brent Howell, Todd Hoyer, Hagen Huber, Joel Huebner, Charlie Hull

Thomas Icard, Mike Ingram, Chris Irving, Collis Jacobs, Arthur James, Al Jeffrey, Dan Jeffs, Jim Jenson, James Jenson, Chris Jetton, Donna Johnson, Johnny Johnson, Giffe Johnson, Todd Johnson, Jill Johnson, Chris Johnston, Tim Jones, Cindy Jones, Guy Jordan

Faruza Kalaba, Doug Kantor, Kevin Karava, Ami Karlin, Benjamin Karp, Dave Karp, Travis Kaufman, Brad Kayser, Jamie Keeney, Kevin Kelly, Darren Kelly, Katy Kelly, Scott Kennedy, Cathy Kennedy, Dan Kennedy, Rex Kerr, Todd Kerr, David Kessler, Adam Kestenbaum, Jeremy Kestenbaum, Sharon Kimbler, Charles Kimsey, Mike King, Sean Kirk, Karlo Kitanovski, Gary Kitchen, Russ Knight, Peter Knize, Matt Koch, Steve Koch, Bill Koch, Mark Konwiser, Luke Koplitz, Dave Kordack, Sy Krauth, Annmarie Kreyme, Jim Kricos, John Kross, Guy Kulman, Cory Kunkel

John Lagasse, Jeff Lampman, Jennifra Lampman, Michlelle Lang, Mike LaPalme, Scott Laporta, Luke Larkin, Jay Laub, Bill Leach, John LeBlanc, David Lee, Dave Leeman, Mike Lehner, Larry Leinhauser, Jesse Leland, Matt Lennarz, Mike LeRoy, Richard Leslie, Steven Levenberger, Jessica Levine, Chris Levins, Grant Levkoff, Adam Levy, Marsha Lewis, Chris Lilly, Anna Lo, Nick Loftus, Tony Logalbo, Louie Logan, Jim Lombard, David Lopez, George Lord, Kirk Loudin, Jonathon Louw, Blondell Love, Barney Lozon, Jim Lynn

Tim Maciejewski, Mike MacLeod, Garret Maddox, Sean Maglieri, Andrew Mahadavan, Bob Mahala, Josh Malkin, Max Malone, Joe Manette, Eric Mann, Will Manson, Al Mapes, Bart Marek, Jose Maria, Anthony Maritato, Teresa Marra, Jeff Marrero, Kyle Marshall, Chris Martin, Rod Martin, Wayne Martin, Kevin Martis, Randy Mayer, Chad McAllister, Allyson McClure, Shelley McCormack Drost, Joe McCormack, Dave McCreight, Tom McCroy, Kevin McCulloch, Maryann McDaniel, Jack McGill, Mark McHugh, George McLain, Zach McLean, Duane McPeeks, Mark Medeiros, Ian Medhurst, Andy Mellon, Bob Melville, Eddy Melvin, Marnie Mendelson, Joe Mendolera, Joe Mendolera Jr., Brian Mercier, Al Mesia, Dan Meyers, Hank Michael, Mark Miller, Lynn Miller, Jeff Miller, Vincent Mills, Maggie Minzer, Kevin Miraglia, Dan Mirman, Loraine Miscavage, Dima Mishelevich, Chris Mitchell, Matt Mitchell, Mike Miushuk, Mike Mobley, Jason Monaco, Jr., Karen Montgomery, Josh Moore, Sharron Morgan, Emily Morris, Phil Morris, Nancy Morris, Joann Morton, Rusty Moulton, Delaina Mulcahy, Debbie Mullett, Michael Mullinnix, Pete Munkholm, Harry Munkhorst, Melanie Muron, Kate Murphy, Ed Murril, Ken Mussillino, Chad Mynatt

Julia Nadal, Kent Narvaez, Hayden Nash, Jane Nay, Joi Nelson, Chris Nelson, Kala Newcombe, Tim Newsome, Linda Niblock, John Nickols, Matt Nolan, Scott Nuss, Eric Nutter

Ryan O’Donnell, Brendan O’Donnell, Casey O’Donnell, Mike O’Hara, BJ O’Hara, Pat O’Keefe, Sean O’Neill, Tara O’Neill, Charles Oldham, Stephanie Oliveri, Lena Osborne, Mark Ott, Mark Oudshoorn, Francis Overholt, Al Owen, Winston Owen

Mel Pagan, Bob Page, Larry Page, Jared Pakler, Nick Palmieri, Dan Palmieri, Mark Paquette, Neil Parker, Jonathon Partlow, Muriel Pascaud, Dave Patrick, Mercedes Paulino, Adam Paup, Robert Paver, Britton Payne, Doug Pender, Brett Permsley, Jeff Perry, Jon Perry, David Peter, Judy Peters, Guy Peterson, James Peterson, Mike Peterson, Nolan Peterson, Chris Petrocelli, Shannon Petsko, Christie Petzoldt, Mike Piazza, Daniel Piazza, David Pierce, Randy Pilgrim, Sean Pilon, Jay Place, Daryl Ploaczyk, Rich Plom, Mark Pohyba, Mark Pooley, Jennifer Pore, Todd Porter, Autumn Powell, Drew Prentiss, David Preston, Nick Preston, Mike Preston, Ray Pritchett, Michelle Probst, Matt Pruett, Dave Psimer, Mike Quinn

Chuck Ragan, Danny Redden, Paul Redzine, Peter Reed, Mike Regan, Amy Reichenbach, Stacy Reidy, Rob Reiling, Mark Reilly, Anthony Renda, Brian Rhoades, Bob Rhodes, Umberto Rianna, Paxton Richards, Jessie Richards, Kirk Richards, Drew Richardson, Gene Riddle, Mark Ridenour, Megan Ridley, Dan Rixon, Dave Robbins, Bruce Roberts, Ryan Robinson, Karen Robson, Shane Robson-Smith, Rick Rogers, Bill Rogers, John Rolston, Justin Roman, Andy Rosebrock, Karl Rosebrock, Tracy Rosebrock, Matt Rosen, Steve Rosenberry, Alex Ross, Jim Ross, Susan Rowe, Rachel Rupe, Jim Russell, Drew Russell

Shana Saah, Steve Saba, Rob Safferstein, Roger Salazar, Rafael Salinas, Pete Sampras, Bo Sanders, Chuck Satterlee, Steve Sauer, Trevor Saunders, Dave Schmidt, Charlie Schnee, Lee Shockley, Brad Shoemaker, Bud Schoen, Judd Schoenholtz, John Schramm, Evan Schroeder, Kimberly Schuler, Matt Schultz, Loren Schumann, Tim Scott, Eric Seaman, Monica Seles, Doug Semian, Steve Serbin, Scott Serbin, Brian Serponi, Jay Seston, Joey Settecase, Kevin Seymour, Nicole Shaffer, Gil Sharell, Carolyn Shave, Lee Shaw, Brian Sheesley, Brad Sheperd, Dave Sheperd, Ken Sheperd, Elaine Sheperd, Joe Shields, Robbie Shriner, Ricky Shriner, Tom Shrum, Brad Shugart, Steve Siebold, Joe Sikora, Pamela Simko, Jessica Sinclair, Mark Singleton, Bob Sizemore, Georgeann Smith, Ken Smith, Pat Smith, Cynthia Smith, Jen Smith, Mike Smith, TJ Smith, Roy Smith, Jerod Smith, Aaron Snyder, Steve Sobering, Skyler Somers, Mark Sooder, Jamie Sorrentini, John Souder, Tori Sparks, Darold Spicer, Matt Spielman, Tom Sprinkle, Sam Staffa, Mick Starkey, Ben Steinberg, Kurt Stewart, Mark Stokes, Jason Stoll, Rebecca Stone, Dan Stone, Danny Stout, Frances Strazzera, Bob Strelec, Rich Strom, Kirsten Strouble, Paul Stryhas, Ryan Sullivan, Neil Sutton, Michael Swenson, Jeff Swart

Shira Tabachnikoff, Leo Talamini, Frank Taliento, Jack Tamburin, Jeff Taylor, Kathy Taylor, Mike Taylor, Shayna Teicher, Jack Terry, Bob Tesso, Jeff Thielen, Owen Thiessen, Heidi Thomann, Mike Thompson, Trevor Thornton, Mike Thull, Charles Tolentino, Tom Tomlinson, David Tomlinson, Beau Toskich, Rose Trevino, John Trexler, Rickie Tucker, Jennifer Twell

Sal Uccello, Brandon Ulrich, Matthew Ulsh, Barbara Underwood, Jesse Underwood, Gary Upham, Kathy Valley, Joel VanCitters, Scott Vanderveer, Robert Van Dyne, Heather Velaszco, Dave Ventresca, Randy Ventresca, John Verburg, Olan Vernon, Dana Victoria, Ken Visser

Bob Wade, Will Wagler, Richard Walker, Mike Wallner, Rick Warren, Danny Watts, Ryan Wattstein, Francesca Weiser, Chad Weisser, Jeremy Welch, Amy Wellso, Brian Wengerd, Kevin West, Sam West, Mark Westbrook, Janie Wheeler, Ted White, Eric Whitmer, Warren Whitmore, Dan Wichlin, Cindy Widman, Steve Wilbur, Andrew Willard, Jonnie Williams, Ashley Williams, Erin Willis, BJ Wilson, Mike Wilson, Eddie Wilson, John Winney, Annette Witte, Sherry Woeber, Pam Wojnarowski, David Wolczynski, Kerry Wolfkill, Lee Wolfson, Mike Woods, Kara Wylie, Crystal Yancey, Eric Yeager, Jackson Young, Casey Young, George Zuknick

"Fresh Sushi" Giclée Prints Now Available

Giclée prints of Fresh Sushi are printed on 100% rag paper with archival inks. The image is approximately 30" x 30" (original 41" x 41").

$350.00 including shipping in U.S. (inquire for overseas shipping)

Fresh Sushi won top prize in the 2007 National Watercolor Society Exhibtion, and was purchased for the NWS Permanent Collection.

Click here to purchase.

Reception and Awards at Strathmore

There was an excellent turnout today at the reception for the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition at Strathmore Mansion in Bethesda. I saw a lot of friends and met some artists I have only known by name or reputation. Strathmore is a wonderful venue, and the 100 paintings are hung in several rooms on two floors. Thanks to the Baltimore Watercolor Society and the Board of Directors of Strathmore for putting on such a fine show.

Summer Sonata was awarded the Margaret Jones Memorial Silver Medal.

More details in the April 6 post.

Nassau #2

Nassau #2 - 28" x 53" - Da Vinci fluid acrylic

This acrylic watercolor painting is composed from photographs I took in Nassau a couple months ago. It's probably a bit of a nod to Bill Moore, and aptly so - we wish he and Yinghua a bon voyage to a new home and new life in the Windy City!

New Da Vinci Ad

This full-page ad is on page 5 of the new issue of Watercolor Artist magazine, and also the new issue of The Artist's Magazine. I'm not sure what the circulation of WA is, but I understand TAM is around 170,000 - lots of people will see this!

Tommy Bolin Shirts - TommyBolin.biz

Here is a new t-shirt I designed using Tommy's image from the sleeve of the Private Eyes album. The Japanese characters are also from that album; the three words - forest, wealth, grave - phonetically approximate "Tommy Bolin." The back of the shirt features the Bolin/Dean Guitars "Two Legends Unite" logo I designed for the NAMM show. There is also a girl's tank top. The shirts are available at TommyBolin.biz, a Bolin-owned and operated entity. Order today and wear the all-time coolest rock legend proudly!

Art Buzz Remix - Jordan Flats Grand Opening

From Jade Floyd's DC This Week blog:

Friday night I invite you to an ART BUZZ REMIX for the Grand Opening of Jordan Flats in N.E. by Senate Realty. While you are there check out some new works by three of DC’s hottest artists and consider making a donation to the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative.

You might remember a few weeks ago I hosted Art Buzz at Senate Realty' s offices and more than 150 DCers came out to support the Collaborative. Well this Friday we have another surprise for you........a preview of chic living in NE. Also you can catch the artwork of three talented DC based artists:

Nick Simmons - http://nicholassimmons.blogspot.com/
Aidah Fontenot - http://www.aidah.com/
Chinedu Felix Osuchukwu - www.ilivetocreate.net

Learn more at http://www.thejordanflats.com/Home_Page.html and see everyone on Friday! Who knows...........I might make one of these flats my new home.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Jordan Flats
1702 West Virginia Ave., NE
Washington, DC 20002

Mid-Atlantic Exhibition - Summer Sonata

Summer Sonata was awarded the silver medal at the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition, the 123rd annual juried show sponsored by the Baltimore Watercolor Society. This is a major show with hundreds of entries from Delaware, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virgina, and West Virginia. The juror was Skip Lawrence. ;)

The exhibition hangs from April 12- May 24 at Strathmore Mansion in Bethesda. The artists reception and awards presentation is Sunday, April 27, 1-3 PM.

Mi amigos Alex y Bill

Two of the coolest people I've met on the internet are Alex Sahores (Buenos Aires) and William K. Moore (Los Angeles).

Alex is an architect who also devotes plenty of time to watercolor, and is one of the leaders of the Hispacuarela site, a very nice forum with a lot of talented artists. He paints in his own style that often depicts landscapes, seascapes, and cityscapes of Argentina and South America. I particularly like his tendency to highlight the abstract component in many of these compositions.

Alex posted a series of plein air pieces on Hispacuarela over a year ago, and I instantly fell in love with this landscape, La Escondida. Wouldn't you know it, he sent it to me (with another painting!) and I've finally gotten around to framing it. I don't usually get too excited over plein air work, but this is a notable exception, an absolute gem. The image is 13 x 20 cm.

Bill Moore's raw and candid scenes of the myriad characters inhabiting the barrio, combined with a dazzling shorthand prose style makes his Bogota Painter one of the blogs for art-loving hipsters. Yes, this is the guy you've been hearing about! Ranging from the bizarre to the sublime, his subject matter is getting wilder and more diverse all the time. Some of my favorites have been his unique self portraits. Chink Chank Chunk arrrived in the mail not long after visiting Bill in LA last fall.

A Moore classic, full of quirk and smirk. Now a prized possession, and it got the same treatment: 8-ply museum mat, Nielsen molding. The image is 16 x 18 cm.

Both of these gentlemen are great artists and fascinating people. I've had the chance to hang out with Bill a couple of times, and hope to meet Alex one of these days. A huge thanks to both for your generosity and friendship!

On The Radar

Thanks to DC buzzmaker, PR pro, and in-the-know hottie Jade Floyd for the entry on her cool blog, DC This Week. I knew there had to be a resource for the true hipster info around these parts, and she is it!

On My Radar: Artist Nicholas Simmons

La Vida Breve

I recently received a very nice message from Alfred Faltiska about this painting, La Vida Breve:

After a year of presenting contemporary painters on my site, after Jeremy Lipking, Anna Kryukova, Simon Balyon and all the other masters I had the pleasure to get to know, I still think La Vida Breve is the most beautiful painting I saw.

No, I didn't pay him to write that! Alfred featured my work on his very interesting blog last year, and has continued to spotlight a huge variety of artists. Thank you Alfred, and you've inspired me to create a post about the picture.

In 2006 I was approached by a couple who live in a fabulous National Historic Registry house in Baltimore. They had seen my painting Zarzuela and wanted to commission something similar for a large wall in their dining room. We agreed on the approximate size and shape, and then I began thinking about subject and reference material. I ended up in contact with the great Spanish flamenco dancer, Bettina Castaño, and used a photograph of her as the basis for the composition; the tortured pose appealed to me, and evokes the tension and drama of flamenco music. I invented the twirling disintegrating dress, the fan, and also came up with the background and the whippy lines (masked). I kept hearing Manuel de Falla's "Spanish Dance No. 1" from La Vida Breve as I painted it, and knew that had to be the title. Translated, it means "life is short" or "a brief life, " and perfectly describes the fleeting moment I was trying to capture.

The painting was delivered about five months later. The image is 30" x 60" and framed measures 40" x 70." Even I was impressed when I finally saw it hanging, surrounded by objects collected by this adventurous couple on their world travels. They are great people, wonderful patrons, and I hope I'll get a chance to do something for them again.

Mne Nravitsa

Famous Russian song. Olga and I recorded this a while back, and I really love how she sings it. "Мне Нравиться" на слова Марины Цветаевой из К/ф Ирония судьбы или с легким паром!

NES on DV Website

I'm featured on the homepage of the new Da Vinci website just launched. Other Da Vinci users will be featured regularly....let them know how you like their product!

http://www.davincipaints.com/

I just finished another workshop that Da Vinci supplied fluid acrylic (and aprons!) for, and people loved it. The demonstration I did at the beginning of the class once again answered the questions and doubts of anyone with misconceptions about watercolor vs. acrylic. After a couple of days they were generally sold on it......another bunch of watercolorists who will be adding this paint to their arsenal and spreading the word!

Plaza Art Workshop

This weekend I'm doing a 2-day workshop at Plaza Art in Rockville, MD. The class sold out very quickly and had a large waiting list, so they've invited me to do another, June 21-22. Plaza is a chain of a dozen retail art stores in this part of the country, and they host lots of workshops. This one is sponsored by Da Vinci Paint.

Other workshops are always being added to the schedule, see the Workshop page on my website for information.

Fallbrook Art Center

"Fresh Sushi" (right) at Fallbrook Art Center.

Award-Winning National Watermedia Fine Art Show has been running at the Fallbrook Art Center in California, until March 16. "Fresh Sushi" is featured on the homepage of the center's website, and there are more pictures here. The show will travel to the Bountiful/Davis Art Center, in Bountiful, Utah, April 1 - May 20.

Salsa Ruso

Olga and Larissa tear up the dance floor.

La Bilirrubina!

11 days of Caribbean fun end today - we're back in Miami. It's been a fabulous time - lots of food, drink, new friends, great sunsets, crystal clear water, and another wonderful reunion with Olga's brother, Denys.....who made this all possible (spaseebo!). Yesterday we got a tour of the bridge and learned a bit of how he drives this city-on-the-water: 2800 guests and 900 crew. We met the captain, and he was very nice - considering Larissa was dressed to take over his job!

Royal Caribbean has the largest ships in the world, and in 2009 will launch the Genesis series which will be 220,000 tons - 3x the size of this ship, and easily the largest passenger ship in the world. I wouldn't be surprised to see Denys continue his wave of success and end up on one of those ships. At 28 and First Officer, it's already amazing what he has done and where he has been -I'm sure he'll be a captain sooner rather than later. The stories he tells are classic tales of the high seas - from circling the globe in the rough freighter training grounds, to the genteel passenger trade on these giant marvels of nautical engineering. We'll sure miss him, and hope to cross paths again soon.

I'll also miss the incendiary drumming and singing of my new Cuban friend, Mitchell Rodriguez. This guy is a music machine, and a very creative drummer....it's been a blast to hear him with the other three guys every night. I've always liked this style of latin music, but don't know many of the artists....need to check out more people like Juan Luis Guerra I guess. Anyway, Mitchell is BAD!!!!!

The view from our balcony.

From the balcony yesterday afternoon.



Larissa in charge from the pilot's chair...and what she doesn't see,

the quartermaster sees.

Day ????

Who knows what day it is, they all run together! I've gotten a few good shots that might become future paintings....but mostly I've been gorging myself, sleeping, and keeping an eye on the girls.

We had dinner a couple nights ago with Olga's brother, Denys, who is First Officer, and his good friend, the beautiful Jade from the UK



I'm looking forward to a tour of the bridge and seeing Denys navigate this 73,000 ton dinghy (he's used to larger ships) through some of the trickier waters.

Floridalia

A memorable week with a wonderful group of people in the workshop, seeing lots of friends, and introducing Larissa to even more - she's been having a blast. Temperatures in the 70s and 80s...the place to be in February.

There are more restaurants in Sarasota than anywhere, and we checked out some new ones....Gil and Kathy took us to Amici's, a very good Italian restaurant on Main St. We also went to the Columbia a couple of times, and two mornings at First Watch (which is now HQ'd in Lakewood Ranch, where I see my house is for sale - a steal compared to a couple of years ago)

With author Dennis Fried at First Watch.

There was an art festival going on downtown this weekend, and I met some watercolorists I didn't know. We're now in Miami and will be meeting up with Olga's brother who is First Officer with Royal Caribbean and is twisting our arms really hard to spend 10 days in the islands.

Next report from the Margarita Deck!

Art Center Sarasota Demo/Workshop

An expectant - and fortunately, friendly - crowd at Art Center Sarasota on Sunday, Feb. 10, to kick off the Watercolor On The Edge workshop. It's been a good week, a great group of people, and we are continuing to break new ground, introduce new techniques, demonstrate the power of Photoshop and digital projection, bust people out of their comfort zones, and of course destroy the myths, misconceptions, and lies re watercolor vs. acrylic mediums. I think we can safely add dozens more to the informed ranks of contemporary painters who are catching the wave of the future!

Teased in Tommytown

Jesse Claeys interviewed me and wrote a great feature about the new guitar in the Sioux City (Tommy Bolin's hometown) Weekender. Jesse is of course already quite familiar with the Iowa-born legend, and has done cover stories on Tommy publicizing the annual Bolin Fest.....so he can talk guitars, and it was a fun conversation. Check it out HERE.

We'll be in Florida tomorrow - I have a demo at Art Center Sarasota on Sunday afternoon, 2:00, the public is invited. A five-day workshop will follow. For more information, click HERE.