Peter Cusack

SPARRING WITH BELLOWS

2008-10-09T20:08:16+00:00

Unintentionally, this painting is based on a composition that George Bellows used a few times . . . maybe more than a few. I first took note of the composition in a favorite Bellows painting called A Day in June (below). What a pleasure it was to see this painting in real time, and others like it, when it was recently shown in New York (December 07). The figures are gathered low, along the bottom of the picture plane, gathered in rhythmic intervals, layered one on top of another, subtle gestures moving, balanced and counter balanced. The activity continues, as well as multiple narratives, as your eye moves up the picture plane and the painted environment reaches deep into space. A heavy mass of foliage contains the figures and frames a New York building, which rises in the distance, peaking high through the trees. The central figure with her parasol stands, curiously, on the edge of the picture. almost along the pictures frame. She strikes a graceful and deliberate pose. Beautiful. I’m noticing now that the police officer in my painting mimics the feel and gesture of the woman in white. If so, it wasn’t intentional. Bellows brilliance is elusive. At times his work can feel crude . . . swipes and smudges, but ultimately it gives way to an overall integrity and subtly. His vigor and power is unmatched. I can imagine Bellows working, not unlike Jackson Pollack, attacking his composition, relying on rhythm, feeling, and color harmonies rather then refined technical passages. It’s described that Bellows was concerned with quantity and the quality take care of itself.

PAINTING IN POSITANO

2008-07-15T14:11:04+00:00

A few weeks ago I went to Italy for a vacation. Positano is a tiny fishing village on the Med. Capri is just off the coast, a short and bumpy boat ride away. What an interesting corner of the world. Most of the time that I spent on the beach, I was semi-busy painting in my watercolor book. Mostly just slopping around. This is a page of color thumbs.

A view of Positano from my balcony. When I first got to Positano it rained like mad for two days. The streets were empty. The rain beat down hard on the awning above me, but provided, at least some protection, while I worked hard to enjoy the sea and a coffee. In hind sight everything was wonderful, but it sucked arriving in the middle of such rain.

also from my hotel balcony.

The town church.

and the sunbathers . . . the lazy sunbathers.

Like I said mostly i was slopping and mopping this medium around. But it felt great and freeing.

HEAT WAVE

2008-06-13T14:32:14+00:00

It happens every year. New Yorkers wait till the fist heat wave of the summer to buy an air conditioner. Miserable and sweating, they're seen all over the city lugging around A/Cs. Just another indication that summer is really here and I should start making plans.

MORE NY MODELS

2008-06-03T14:20:42+00:00

A recent Friday night session at the Art Students League; this young guy is a sculpture from Spain. He does some of his art work at The League but he's also a model. He looked so serious and stern sitting up on the model stand. But when we got a chance to talk during one of the breaks, I found him to be light hearted and joyful. I blasted through this painting, during which I did very little thinking about my process and where I was going. It wasn't really till the end of the session that I began to pull the painting together. I read somewhere that Sargent felt like painting outdoors was like an "emergency." I felt that during this session. The time is ticking away and I'm racing to "get it all down."

ON THE BUS

2008-05-15T19:40:11+00:00

The central figure in this sketchbook composition is a bus inspector. He rides along with the driver from time to time making sure all is well with the driver and route. Basically, it look to me as if he was just hanging out, shooting the breeze with his buddy, and gazing out the front window. He has such a good head I couldn't help but draw him. His uniform was simple so i searched for a few items that related to his job. Not much, but i decided to spend some time on the pens in his pocket and study out the keys hanging of his belt loop. By the way, that's his arm resting on the top of his head. During the ride I scoped out the other riders and indicated interesting moments of humanity and anatomy.

WASHES DOODLES and STUDIES

2008-05-14T13:26:08+00:00

A spread from my sketchbook. This time, I broke from years of tradition and purchased a different kind of sketchbook. I'm seeing it as an indication of growth. Different color, different size, different paper and it has a pretentious little ribbon the ties the whole thing closed. I wasn't sure if I was ready for the change and I basically ignored it for a few weeks. But now I think I've found my joy with it. These little watercolor notes have been so satisfying. At times clumsy, but for sure mostly satisfying. Here is a few from my Monday night private class. Watercolor is such great painting practice! So quick. I think a fresh look comes from clean clear color choices. More mixing and observing.

BASEBALL THUMBS

2008-05-12T15:35:25+00:00

I've been working on two proposals for a mosaic mural project for the MTA. This is a page of thumbnails from my sketchbook. They're all little baseball compositions . . . players, couches, the dugout, ect. Last week the focus of this project changed and these thumbs were shelved.

MANZU and NANCY

2008-05-07T13:57:18+00:00

In response to Nancy's post! Here is a sculptor I've been thinking about lately. The clothing he designs for his figures is just so beautiful and natural!

A PAINTING AND A POEM!

2008-04-03T16:28:49+00:00

A couple bustles down an East Village street.
Its late morning,
brunch is only a few blocks away.
Papers, strewn, are aloft and tumbling
on an east bound gust,
litter left over from a night devoured.

New Yorker Studies

2008-02-16T18:05:21+00:00

A few more sketches for my Subway Book gallery . . . mostly portrait studies. The sketch of the girl with her school bag has a little sketch of a studio in Giverny, it think Monet's. It has a bank of north lit windows and the roof is frosted glass. Note to self. Build that studio one day.

PREMIER COUP

2008-01-31T17:28:47+00:00

There have been a number of blessings, including people, who have helped me �get out of my own way�; including this site. The teaching style of W.M. Chase who promoted the practice of the premier coup (first strike) challenged the concepts I learned in my first few years of studying painting. Students in Chase�s class painted either from a still life or a model and completed a painting in one sitting. Perhaps two. Working directly, they might do a few paintings in one week of study. It�s reported that Chase demonstrated often and was amazing at executing a portrait, spontaneously, crackling with life, in one sitting. The premier coup, or oil sketch has become an important part of my work and happiness as a painter. I wouldn�t work exclusively in this manner, but it�s a great work out, stimulating a different set of painting muscles. This weekend, Nancy (Stahl) and I sat in on a class at the Art Students League. For one, hanging out and talking with Nancy is a lot of fun. Working with here side by side feels great. By nature, she�s open-minded and supportive, which is a good painting medium . . . helps with fluidity. The model, whose name I�m forgetting was a skater. He was posed with his foot up on his board, leaning forward a bit on his knee. And as you can see he had more than a head full of hair . . . braids and dreads. The glasses came off and on as we progressed through the poses. And we all argued democratically on including or not including his glasses throughout the pose. Art, interesting models, a good friend, democracy, direct painting . . . ahhhhhh I could feel life boiling up inside me.

MORE BOXING

2008-01-24T01:38:29+00:00

Over time, I've been trying to get some of the direct painting that I enjoy so much when painting outside into the work i do in my studio and more planed illustrations. Here is another attempt. The figure on the left has such a stable and solid gesture compared to the more twisted fella on the right . . . both faces fully expressing the moment.

Over time, I've been trying to get some of the direct painting that I enjoy so much when painting outside into the work i do in my studio and more planed illustrations. Here is another attempt. The figure on the left has such a stable and solid gesture compared to the more twisted fella on the right . . . both faces fully expressing the moment.

TANK COMMANDER

2008-01-22T19:25:03+00:00

This is a painting I did for myself. I was inspired to depict the war after the recent show, Artists Against The War, at the Society. I don't think Im making a statement either way, but i thought much of the subject matter/imagery in the show was really powerful.

GEORGE BELLOWS

2007-11-27T23:10:24+00:00

A friend of mine David Zeggart sent me this great reproduction on a George Bellows painting. It at the Spanierman Gallery in NYC. I think the gallery is on 58th between Park and Mad. But if your in the area and want to visit it. Check google maps, don't go by me. Enjoy!

MORE NEWYORK VERVE

2007-10-25T12:18:58+00:00

"This subways out of service!" We all flowed out on to the platform to wait for another train. I wandered through the crowd looking for something to hold my interest. I leaned on the staircase and sketched this trio a few times before we started talking about martial arts. Before I knew it the new train arrived and we all piled in agian

Raven Demo

2007-09-26T23:15:56+00:00

I demo pretty often in the classes I teach. Its the best way to directly communicate the process of painting, theories about light, and maybe most important, problem solving. Students love to see their teacher sweat. This demo was done with your basic classroom crayon. I'm really enjoying working with it because of the lack of drying time and easy layering. The Raven is something I brought in from my own small sculpture collection. It's a replica of a piece in the MET. I've had my eye on it for years and Nicole got it for me as a gift. He shares a table in my living room with few house plants. I love the way he looks next to the leaves and pots . . . another idea for a still life.

BOXERS

2007-08-31T02:42:48+00:00

I'm a big fan of George Bellows and many other artists from the early 20th. It was a great time to be a painter. The doors were really flung open and so many artist discovered unique and profound voices. Boxing and wrestling was a popular subject to paint. But Ol' George has the last word with Stag at Sharkey's.

BIRD

2007-07-31T21:10:18+00:00

This is my contribution to David Leonard's calendar.

CRAYON DRAWINGS

2007-07-31T20:25:15+00:00

These two drawings are class demos. But more than that, they're of my friend and model Janine. She's an artist, a painter, a graduate of FIT, and actually had three paintings in the Student SI show when she graduated. Although they're not represented here, much of her body is tattooed. A portrait of Elvis, which she created. is on her hip.

A CAMPUS IN TURMOIL

2007-06-22T13:30:35+00:00

This painting is about a campus in turmoil after the Virginia Tech shooting. I chose to focus on a the baseball team to address the deflated school spirit. By introducing stormy skies and having the foreground figure clasping and wringing a baseball I was hoping to create a feeling of a tension and churning emotions.

TOYING WITH SOILDERS

2007-06-14T01:47:11+00:00

This is a sketch related to a piece I'm working on.

and two others playing with the concept.

A FATHER AND SON

2007-06-01T11:45:38+00:00

This is a drawing from earlier this year of a father and son on the train. Added a little water color here

Kayaking Campsite and Nort's House

2007-05-21T20:37:18+00:00

I spent a lot of time looking for a good painting spot this Saturday. I pondered a covered bridge�no, the river bank�no, a little tidal pool�no/ Nothing seemed to feel right. Time was ticking and I wasn't sure how long the rain would hold off. I came across a camp site of kayakers, who were set up for a weekend of racing down the Housatonic River. What an interesting group of people, vehicles and equipment. I quickly found a spot within the campsite, far enough away so I could get an overall view of the whole scene. As I was setting up, this car pulled up and sat itself right in the middle of my composition. I knew it wouldn't stay to long, so I flew into the painting. As soon as I got the car stated on the canvas, the owner had finished unpacking it and drove the god damn thing away. Leaving the car as the center of interest I worked on developing the rest of the scene. The other painting is of a friend's house�Nort. I've known and loved this little house since I was about 11 years old. I have fond memories of eating burgers on that porch and riding my bike out front on the road. Its such a quiet place and Nort is a one of a kind man.

A SHOW CALLED "THE STILL LIFE"

2007-04-23T12:37:13+00:00

I was invited to participate in a group show, simply entitled "The Still Life." It will be opening in May at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. These are the three paintings that I'm submitting to the show. It was a very personal and challenging process. Like most of my work and without really knowing it, these paintings are based on people I know and love, and have a great deal of emotion surrounding their creation. I wish it weren't the case. It can be a very heavy process and my emotions swing in all directions. They're being framed now and overall it has been a thrilling experience. The second painting (the garden lantern, relief and watering can) is the largest still life I've ever painted. In addition, I had never "painted for a show" before. I had always submitted work that I had laying around. For me, It had a totally different feel. But I approached it like an illustration deadline which helped a great deal.

Detroit Rock City!!!

2007-04-12T19:32:11+00:00

Detroit Rock City!!! Last week, I flew out to Detroit to do a demo for Don K�s class at the College of Creative Studies. I spent a few days with Don in his new place. I don�t think there were many moments that Don and I weren�t laughing. But if we weren�t laughing, we were kvetching about our deep personal problems and fears. As of now, his house is almost completely empty. Kate and the kids are still back in California and it�s obvious that Don isn�t going to move in until they arrive. There isn�t a plate, nor a cup and saucer in the joint, there are few opportunities to sit down on a cushioned piece of furniture, and his room is a holy mess. Its a man�s place right now and Don and I let it all hang out. I had a blast and felt like I was thirteen again. Thanks Donno. As for the Demo . . . it went really well. The department provided a wonderful young woman named Alyssa as a model, the studio was packed with what seemed like the whole department and painting felt pretty easy that day. I must say, as well, that the students at CCS are very nice people and the few professors I met were gracious, dedicated and I must say . . . talented!!!! Thanks for everything Don, Dave, Gil, Pat, and Eric.

Portrait Study

2007-03-13T17:18:11+00:00

Most often my sketchbook is a great escape where I draw pretty freely, asking nothing of the outcome. Don't get me wrong, I always try to make things look good and even try to compose a whole page unifying various notations into one composition. But overall, it's pretty free and easy. When I launched into this little study, I thought it was going great! As I completed it, I felt, "Wow! I think this might be the best sketch I've ever done". . . So what did I do? . . . I tried to make it better. No longer was the man even in front of me and I began picking at it, adjusting things, here and there, until I destroyed it. MUTHA F@#$%! I wouldn't let it go. As I traveled around, I kept returning to it, in hopes of reviving it. I found myself walking down B-Way, drawing, picking; stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to apply a gradual gradation. It got absolutely ridiculous! For two days, my focus was this damn thing! Well here it is . . . not bad, but you should have seen it two days ago.

FLOWERS!

2007-02-09T14:12:17+00:00

Still wrestling with this medium. Sometimes I get something pretty good but very often I abort the whole mission, leaving a brownish mess on my paper. OY VAY!!! I've been kinda reading studying three artists lately, Edwin Dickinson, Sorolla, and Fetchin (whose book I just bought from Bud Plant, pretty cheap). One of these artists, I think it was Fetchin, actually recommends that one should stick to one medium (oil or water color). He goes on to say something like working in both diminishes the artists technical sensibility in both. Now, I don't agree at all but I know where he's coming from. In some ways, one medium can inform the other but each has its own application and state of mind. Here is a moment where I think I was in the right state of mind.

SMITHSONIAN SKETCHBOOKS

2007-01-29T02:51:15+00:00

Robert Henri, Isabel Bischoff, Fairfield Porter, Reginald Marsh, yada yada yada, all have sketchbooks posted on this site. Hope you check it out and enjoy. It's kinda like Drawger! http://www.aaa.si.edu/guides/curators-visual/index.cfm/fuseaction/items.detailItem/ItemID/5750

A MILLION EARS OF HOUSE CORN

2007-01-18T17:20:18+00:00

This was a fun job. It's for Mortgage Banking Magazine. The subject matter was a perfect fit and what makes it particularly cool, is the fact that Donnie Kills will be in the same issue. Im sure he'll be posting his piece soon�it was due yesterday!!;p As I was working on the sketches, I began to get into the character and developed a nostalgic, whole-grain type of guy. My previous post shows two sketches I did while toying with this character. The art director seemed to like all the sketches, picked the third one shown here, but asked if I could make it feel more modern. I shot my self with a baseball cap and removed the suspenders.

FARMER, CORN, TRACTOR SKETCH

2007-01-08T13:02:25+00:00

Here's a recent sketch book page. It will probably be hard for you to make out what it actually is. There are two scenes happening here. Up front and to the left is a farmer on his tractor looking over his shoulder, which is a pose that I love. And the other is sort of a long-shot of that farmer pulling and kind of lifting the arm of his cart, out in his corn field. His big tractor is behind him, stopped in the middle of a half cut corn field. So that's the explanation. I wonder if you can make it out. There is something in the characters that makes me really like this sketched montage.

MODEL STUDIES

2006-12-27T16:29:49+00:00

Artists models are good and fascinating people. I believe there is a special section in heaven for them! These are two models that work together, quite often, at the Society of Illustrators. As they pose, they go on-and-on, updating each other on their separate lives. I can barely make out what they're saying because of the band music in the background but I usually catch phrases like, "my yoga instructor said", or "so we met for a drink at that bar on the east side", or "I don't know what the hell she was thinking!" . . . on and on. They seem to genuinely care about each other and share an intimacy as they strike statuesque poses, hold firmly still, and gab like two highschool kids on the bus.

WATER COLOR SKETCH

2006-12-19T03:40:15+00:00

I rarely use water color but I'd love to master it; make it my own. I was looking at the recent Esquire and admiring John Cuneo's recent painting. I love how lively and articulate it is. I've recently been looking at Sargent's water color paintings as well; mainly his people. And I must say, too, that Christian Slade, a fellow drawger blogger has sketch books full of beautiful water color studies. There is something about a well executed and fresh water color painting that is so intriguing. Somehow the simplest water color statement can be so fulfilling. So during the private class I teach I have been bustin out the water color set and letting flow. Here is a little sketch I did a few hours ago.

Portrait Study

2006-12-03T18:13:06+00:00

This man has been a model at the Art Students League since 1984. There must be a million paintings of him floating around out there. I painted his portrait yesterday in the members life class at the ASL. I periodically stop-in on that class and join the regular crew that have been meeting there every Saturday for I don't know how many years. Max Ginsburg was there as well. I got a chance to talk to him during the long break about his career in illustration and the paintings he's doing now. He's very nice, and like most artist I meet, very generous. You know, I forgot to ask the model's name. www.maxginsburg.com

MANSHIP

2006-11-29T22:19:27+00:00

I'd like to recommend this show; Paul Manship and His Circle. Its at the Gerald Peters Gallery, 2 East 78th. 212 452 6600. Its around the corner from the Met, which also has a great show about Americans studying in Paris. Who ever runs this gallery is top notch and always seems to pull together the best shows. The last one I saw at the GPG was Robert Henri. Another awesome show. So, if your in that neighb, don't forget to stop in.

Heavy Weights

2006-11-03T14:12:08+00:00

I've been playing around with a wrestler character in my sketch book. I'm fascinated by his brawny character and strength and have enjoyed drawing him into different poses; either repose or torturing someone in a full nelson. Rarely do I experiment like this. Usually my sketch book is for observational studies of people and portraits. But to tell you the truth, I'm sick of it! Over it! This simpleton has been a joy to spend time with. Yesterday, I did this painting of him locked with his opponent.

Hook Shot

2006-10-13T18:44:25+00:00

The final poster design. Notice on the bottom, The MTA was kind enough to print my poem as well.

This painting was done for the MTA. I was selected to be apart of their poster program and in 2007 this image will be hanging throughout the New York transit system. I sent them the following poem as well, hoping that they would include it on the poster. We'll see. For me, the underlying theme of the image was hope, stemming from the relationship and bond between the two figures; two men, one older and one younger, maybe a father and a son. Hook Shot In the warmth of the golden sun two New Yorkers, a father, someone�s son, play one-on-one. And overhead, the elevated train rattles by. Their ball suspended in a moment between hope and swish.

I gave them six ideas to choose from. The concept was to show the elevated train and the type of neighborhood activity happens everyday beneath it.

Lastly the color study.

Excerpt From Mattise

2006-09-26T17:12:42+00:00

This next bit of text is lifted from a book on Matisse's "Jazz" portfolio. Included as well is the image that it accompanies. This quote interests me because it speaks to the nature of "starting out", the fever and freedom of creating ones identity, and being enlivened by the resistance we feel each time we take a step forward. To derive happiness from ones self, from a good days work, from the clearing that it makes in the fog that surrounds us. To think that all those who have succeeded, as they look back on the difficulties of their start in life, exclaimed with conviction, �Those were the good days�! For most of them success has meant a prison, and the artist must never be a prisoner. Prisoner? An artist must never be a prisoner of even himself, a prisoner of a style, a prisoner of a reputation, a prisoner of a good fortune. Did not the Goncourt brothers tell us that Japanese artists of the great period changed their names several times in their lifetime? This pleases me: they wanted to safeguard their liberties.

Last Night's Train Ride

2006-08-31T16:00:57+00:00

On my way to and from Drawgers first NYC summit at the Spiegel Beer Gardens at South Street I did a little sketchidy sketch on the train. Here's what came up. There are some more in my Subway Book gallery over there ---->.

Awesome Photos

2006-08-23T18:20:08+00:00

I thought these two photos held an interesting comparison. They're both lit in a similar way but one was "staged" and the other occurred "naturally". I thought they both looked like golden age illustrations in the narrative, composition, and mood. As if Dean Cornwall or Meade Schaeffer painted them. They kind of feel painterly too!?

C'est Moi Ca!

2006-08-18T17:22:23+00:00

Sometimes, after I finish up a session of painting, I'll paint something separate with the leftover and drying paint on my palette. I usually limit myself to using only the colors that are there. Very often they're hi in chroma. And basically I let it rip. This is a quick, down-and-dirty self portrait which I thought worked. I was looking into a mirror, lit by the light above my easel, as well as the day light from a window behind me.

The Sacred Grove

2006-08-18T15:00:27+00:00

Donnie Kils and I went out to "The Sacred Grove" a mormon pilgrimage destination (I will let him tell you more about that) for a visit and a little painting session "au pleine aire" (oui, oui!) style. We had an awesome time talking, joking, impersonating John Thompson (whom we both admire very much, by the way), shouting various exuberances and painting the "hell" out of the Sacred Grove. The Sacred Grove is a very beautiful place and all kidding aside I felt that it was holy ground. To say the least, Don and I shared a spiritual afternoon. Later that evening we went to John Thompson�s house were he and Darren barbequed and we all got a sneak peak at his India series. Wow!

Rembrant at the Morgan Library, NYC

2006-07-30T23:25:37+00:00

I went to the Rembrant etching show at the Morgan Library on Madison Ave! Holy shit! It was great! The library was just redone, by the way! It kind of hurts at first, but it's really done very nicely. So if your in and around NYC . . . go see the show! The etchings blew me away. Seeing them in person is seeing them for the first time. GO!!!

Arthur Getz

2006-07-29T01:37:34+00:00

I just wanted to share this great New Yorker cover that I baught. Arthur Getz. July 16 1953. Kinda feels this way right now.

Surviving Has Made Me Crazy

2006-07-28T14:22:23+00:00

Surviving Has Made Me Crazy is a collection of poems from a writer and philosopher named Mark Nepo. I am working on his book's cover image. With in these poems, Mark discussed the transformation he and his wife underwent as patients and survivors of cancer. The experience of being so close to death so young, fighting and surviving has redefined his life in the most profound way. In his words: "In truth, this experience has unraveled the way I see the world. It has scoured my lens of perception, landing me in a deeper sense of living. Both Ann and I were, against our will, reduced, with our mouths open, into the mystery of life in which we all swim and from which we all emerge on our separate shores. And spit up, naked and exhausted, its clear that, being human, we are each a crucible, an ever-changing inlet through which the greater Whole in all its forms ebbs and flows." These image depicts a particular line of poetry which I felt captured the essence of this collection. It reads: I eat flowers now and birds follow me. I am showing here the thumbnail which I used to present the concept and the final sketch, which went through a bit of an evolution.

And finally . . . the final!

A Little Pliene Air Action

2006-07-24T16:17:35+00:00

Spent the weekend at my parents house. It was an overcast weekend with lots of thunderstorms and lots of rain. When the rain held off, I was outside painting. The cloud cover ended up being a good thing. The light remained consistent and even for long periods of time. So as my friend Christian Slade would put it, "Here's a little pleine air action".

Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby

2006-07-21T14:23:39+00:00

Murray Tinkelman or "Tink" (I never call him that) invited me to participate in his lastest traveling show entitled "Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby;" selfportrait of the artist as a child. So here is my contribution. This image stems from the memories of the many days I spent under the care of my grandparents. Each afternoon, my grandfather took me for a walk along the sound to feed a family of swans. The days I spent with them were peaceful, loving and comforting, and no doubt gave me a foundation to grow on.

PRO BONO!

2006-06-27T17:19:26+00:00

HOWDY Drawger Bloggers! A buddy of mine is producing a large calendar as a promotional vehicle for a printer named Corcoran Printing, his own design studio and illustrators. He's found himself in a bind. Two artist just haven't come through for him. He is looking for a few artists to participate in the calendar. Anyone interested?? His info is above, but just in case his email is: David Leonard dleonard@hybridstudios.com

A Little Home Improv.

2006-06-16T12:04:53+00:00

Here is a recent photo of my bathroom. Notice there is no tub or shower. Nice!

Recent Painting

2006-06-15T02:00:08+00:00

These are two paintings that I recently finished up. Both were fun to do. What is not fun is getting my work reproduced. Its expensive and a real challenge to get it looking good. The digital image ends up being quite different from the actuall painting. Or at least to my eye. OY f#@%ing VAY!!!! TO BOOT!, I never know if they are coming out too light when I post them here. I think my monitor is calibrated on the dark side. Is there an official "monitor calibration"?? Can someone come and take me for a walk and through a Frisbee with me!

Can anyone tell where this little scene is taking place??? Do ya get it??

The Big Dory 1913

2006-06-05T02:43:23+00:00

This painting by George Bellows is at the New Britian Museum of American Art in Connecticut. Its hanging right next to a gorgous landscape by Rockwell Kent. The New Britain has a great, great collection witha wide range of American Artist. They have a great little Calder mobile as well . . . Half price with a Society memebership and good books in the shop.

Francis

2006-05-09T14:08:51+00:00

This drawing depicts the character Francis Phalen. Or at least my Francis Phalen. I am finding him to be a mix between myself, my father and my wife's' race car-driving uncle Hank, who I am discovering is a great model. One evening last week we drove upstate, racing the setting sun, to get a few pictures of Hank in a late 20's costume I culled together from different sources. The costume was entirely to big for him but he looked great! We took a bunch of photos, sat down to a great dinner, and rambled on into the evening. It feels great to bring the people whom I love into my work. Thanks Hank And Fil! PS There are some photo-shoot pics in the photo gallery!

Iron Weed

2006-04-27T04:36:51+00:00

Ironweed is a novel by William Kennedy which was made into a movie in the late 80's. I often find myself thinking about its main characters Francis Phalen and Helen Archer, derelict alcoholics who find themselves back in the city where they grew up after decades of running away. The story takes place over a few days in which each character revisits and faces their past. I am working on developing ideas for a promotional piece which would depict this complex and fascinating novel. This is a water color sketch of my idea.

Morning Sketch

2006-04-21T16:46:54+00:00

Went for a walk this morning and saw this chap sitting on his stoop. I kind of liked the way the low sun was hitting his face. I jotted the scene down when I got home. I think I'll use it as a composition for a future project.

After Degas

2006-04-18T15:48:13+00:00

My favorite galleries in the MET are those dedicated to Degas. I continue to find a profound sensitivity in his work and draw from it great inspiration. We are so lucky to have, in New York, two self portraits which depict him as a young teenager and another as a bohemian painter, as well as an extensive collection of his wax (now bronze) sculptures of horses, bathers, and dancers. I recently posted this painting in my gallery here but thought it might be interesting to show the drawing I used as inspiration.

GLADIATOR at the ART STUDENTS LEAGUE

2006-04-06T17:28:41+00:00

I couldn't get it out of my head. To me he was Russle Crow as the Gladiator. I'm not sure why cause he does really look like Russle. But all I kept thinking was, "I am Maximus Aurilius. General of the Northern Army. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife." Love that! Nancy Stahl and I met up at the 5 to 630 long pose drawing session at the Art Students League. It was great to share those hallowed halls with her. Thanks Nancy!

From My Subway Sketchbook

2006-04-04T14:16:03+00:00

You know, sometimes I feel like all I do is ride this damn train. Someone recently asked my what have I been up to. My answer was, "I've been riding the subway a lot." Back and forth, up and down, transfer here, get on there, skip stops, weekend delays. OYVAY!!!!! This young man was craddled contently in the bosom of his woman. Nice.

Kudos to Dad

2006-03-31T14:35:38+00:00

My father is a beautiful sculptor. His work is emotive and spontaneous, although typically, he will work for long periods of time on one piece, searching to "get it right". This portrait sits in a corner of my living room. It's an inspiration.

Tuesday Drawing at The Society

2006-03-22T14:24:03+00:00

Open bar, Live hot Jazz, and Burlesque Girls. That's right. The Society of Illustrators. I am a regular of The SI sketch night. It's the hightlight of my week, a mingling of the most enjoyable vices. Unfortunately I quit smoking. Here is a composition from last night.