another copy

i love copying old master paintings. it's a great way to experience the work and to just learn. plus it's something to do when i'm not exactly sure what i want to paint. this one is from gainsborough; a detail from the painter's daughters chasing a butterfly.

fröhliche weihnachten!

...or whichever holiday you celebrate. here are some little paintings i gave this year for christmas; a copy of a detail from the rokeby venus by velázquez, and a copy of rembradt's titus van rijn in a monk's habit. :)

warbling

this little man is a subalpine warbler. i've been continuing to paint lots of birds, but i'm going to try and keep the birdy related posts to the finch blog. i'll highlight some faves here once in a while, for example this guy who i particularly liked. he is currently hanging at the academy, getting ready to be bought up by a lucky bird-loving holiday shopper at this year's annual holiday party fundraiser.

royal ancestors

here's a commission i did a while back, for a gentleman who wanted some tiny family portraits done. when he gave me the details, i learned i would be painting none other than king henry II and his famous wife eleanor of aquitaine!

 

he has since commissioned me to do a couple more family portraits, this time of charlemagne and william the conqueror!
:)

stoop sale score!

i recently hit the classical music jackpot at a neighborhood stoop sale. there was so much more than what i ran off with.. what an amazing collection they were getting rid of - for just a dollar a disc!

oink

look at this piglet!
 jimmy almost barfed from TCO (total cuteness overload) when he saw it, so i gave it to him.
:)

guess who

bee is back!
i know it's been half a year, but that just means there's a back-log of good stuff to post! art work, photos, inspirations, wedding goodies.. lots of things stored up to share. so i'm hoping to get the blog up to speed and back on a regular posting schedule, cuz i've been missing it.

for now, here's the painting that recently sold at sotheby's, in the academy's annual take home a nude silent auction:

it was very exciting: my painting was designated a "hot lot", there was a bid off, and it went for almost twice the estimated value.

i'm not sure, but i think this is the winner (she looks very excited, how cool is that?):

little white stag

i did this little painting for the SINGLE FARE show that some friends from the Academy are putting on this weekend. he's painted on an NYC metro card! :)

a meadowlark, black & orange flycatcher & a pine warbler

birds are back

another robin,


and some cute little sparrows!