Changing Styles

I wonder how often other artists do this.

For me it's not really all that often.
"Latin Pop" is my signature style. It's been there since I put brush to canvas in a serious way. It's evolved over the years and from time to time variations do develop within it, but it's my one artistic constant. It flows from me and of all the styles I've explored so far it is the one I consider most personal.

For a number of years I painted a comic-book inspired series alongside Latin Pop. It was well received and I really enjoyed it. Much like Lichtenstein (one of my favorite artists), I worked from actual comic books, interpreting single panels into paintings that usually carried some sort of tongue-in-cheek commentary. But something happened along the way and though the paintings earned me some gallery acceptance, I began to feel less and less inspired to carry on the series. It's been about a year and a half since I've produced a new "Strictly Pop" painting.

I guess I feel that, while no less legitimate an art form, manipulating other people's imagery to convey my point of view, is no longer satisfying. At least not while there are images of my very own lining up in my head...just waiting to be expressed.

So if I have no real desire to pursue this series, why is it that I feel as if I'm turning my back on an old friend?

I'm not going to say that I will never re-visit this imagery (who can ever figure artists out!), but for the time being I have no plans to. The remaining pieces from this series (for the exception of a few still at some galleries) have been sitting in a corner of my studio. So I've put them up on my Etsy shop, which I've just opened.

Here are a few:


"Bombshell"/24x36"
Available through Artiszenarts Gallery


"Always"/16x20"
Available


"Glad"/16x20"
Available


"Medicine"/16x20"
Available


"Catwoman for Friskies"/24x24"
Available through Artiszenarts Gallery


"Betsey Johnson"/16x20"
(Purchased at an art market in the Hamptons by Ms. Johnson's business partner as a gift for Betsey)


"Ralph Lauren"/16x20"
Sold

No-so-Extreme Make Over

I'm not one to spread rumors...but it seems one of my girls (Varla) has gone under the brush and had a bit of work done. We called "her people", who declined to comment.

You be the judge:

Small Abstracts

I've been talking a lot about painting abstracts lately and quite honestly have not produced as many as I'd hoped.
Now I have to.
A gallery has asked some abstracts of me and I must have some ready for the owner to pick from in two weeks.

Today I started trying to loosen up a bit with these little guys.



Up
5x7"/ Mixed media on canvas panel


Tumble
6x6"/ Mixed Media on canvas


Searching for Quiet
5x7"/Mixed media on canvas panel

Can't Shake the Visual

Last night while coming home from meeting with a gallery owner and later visiting a friend, we were being silly and jamming out to something on the car stereo when I see a shape to the right coming onto the highway.

A deer.
A big deer.

I immediately scream at Ron to WATCH OUT and he swerves (doing the mom arm over passenger move).

The car to our left was not so lucky and hits the deer.

The deer literally goes up into the air and lands to the right of us.

It was just like in the movies when everything is at regular speed. Then the impact comes, followed by a few seconds of slow-motion, then the speed picks up again.

It was such an awful sight to see (and hear/feel) the poor thing land next to us.

For the Birds

Well, more like from the birds, actually...

This Is for the Birds: Poo Facial Promises Smoother Skin
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
By Marrecca Fiore, Fox News
see http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402422,00.html for links & more pix

If you've ever had bird poo drop from the sky and onto your head — heck even if you haven't — it's probably pretty hard to imagine forking over almost $200 to have someone massage bird doodoo into your face for the better part of an hour.

But there's a price to pay for healthy skin and many in New York City are “flocking” to try this latest anti-aging craze.

The Geisha Facial given at Shizuka New York, a day spa in midtown Manhattan, doesn’t contain just any run of the mill pigeon poo. It’s made from dried nightingale droppings imported from Japan and mixed with rice bran.

WTF is wrong with people???
What's next???

Imma open a spa up in my backyard and introduce an EXCLUSIVE new treatment where I squeeze Lola (our Basset Hound) over the client's face. I'll play Enya in the background.

Very fancy.

Thanks Purple Trekkie for making me aware of this lovely practice.

Vanity

I know what you're thinking...
But this Vanity has never dated a rock star.
Not even an itsy-bitsy one.
And she doesn't own a little red corvette either.

She's just a fan who gets a little carried away from time to time.


Va-Va-Voom! Girl "Vanity"
Acrylic on canvas/10x30"

Welcome to the Jungle

The second this week's challenge (design a day-to-night look for Brook Shield's character on her show "Lipstick Jungle") got underway I felt like I might not have much to blog about. I love Brooke. She's entertaining and she looks fab, but quite honestly I don't see the unique angle of the challenge.

Ah well, but the show must go on. And some people have to win, and others loose and I must say something bitchy about at least one (maybe two).

Keith redeemed himself this week by winning the challenge.
His look was actually quite nice and tasteful, which means he will remain safe from Mormon capture for at least another week. Whew!
I loved how the model worked the sleeves on the runway.


Lovely!

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Jerrell and Stella's look! Stella even looked as if there might be something other than scotch and formaldehyde running through her veins this week.
Now if Jerrell can wear a shirt with a neckline above his navel I might start taking him a bit more seriously.


Grrr!

Tragedies of the Week:

It was all about taste this week...or lack thereof.

Blaine's creativity seems to be fading faster than his tan. He was supposed to create an outfit for a high powered TV executive. Instead he created something fit for a bike messenger.


You can buy this at Walmart.

Kelli on the other hand, seemed to have a whole other type of profession in mind.


Angry tranny in a Heidi Fleiss power suit!

THANK GAWWWWWWD next week it's Drag Queens!

YAY!