Painting

12×12″ oil Available at my upcoming solo exhibition, titled “Inspired” at Mimosa Gallery, 7/1 – 7/31. My latest oil of a spectacular sunset I saw a few years ago overlooking the Mohawk Ricer. It was so awesome, I had to stop and snap some photos for a later painting. Three years later, and here it is! Free Painting Give-Away Reminder – Drawing Tomorrow! Also – A reminder that June 19, will mark the 7th anniversary of my first blog post. In previous years, I’ve done some sort of give-away to celebrate. This year is no different, however, I am including a couple giclee reproductions for my Facebook page fans as well. I’ll also do a drawing for a small original painting of my choosing exclusively for email subscribers. Previous collectors have the opportunity to be entered multiple times. If you are interested, you can enter the drawings several ways: 1. Go to my Facebook Page and hit “Like” (#300 and a friend wins a giclee) 2. Email subscribers are automatically entered for the original give-away. 3. Previous collectors have an extra opportunity to win – please leave a comment or send me a message letting me know which of my paintings you currently own. Your name is entered for each painting. Therefore, if you have 3 of my paintings – you are entered 4 times – 1 for just being a subscriber, and 3 for each painting in your collection! Fun, huh? I will do the drawing on 6/19 for the original. Thank you, and good luck! Until next time… Takeyce Visit A Fine Art Blog. Become a Fan on Facebook

acrylic on board, 30"x14"This is my piece for an upcoming show at Gallery Nucleus, Yesterday's Tomorrows. I love the look of vintage stereo equipment. I don't know what anything does, but it doesn't matter...it's so boxy and cool and complex! I enjoy the idea that there was a point where advancing technology meant more complicated stuff. More buttons and switches and little blinky lights. Infinite options and settings and modes for a really simple thing...like just listening to music.

Hello blog friends! If you follow me on instagram or twitter you're probably already aware of this: I recently spent a week in New York City! It was part work, part vacation, and utterly awesome. It was my first time there, but I doubt it will be my last. We're already trying to figure out when we can possibly go back!So this post is basically a photo explosion of my trip to NYC. I didn't draw a single thing while I was there. I think it's important to put down the drawing utensil sometimes, and just be a person, and have some experiences. Goodness knows there's enough to see and do in New York to keep your brain occupied. First thing: we took the red eye from LA (Burbank, actually) to JFK. When we arrived we needed a nap and coffee. Since we stayed at the Ace Hotel there was a constant stream of Stumptown coffee available, and we are BIG fans of that stuff, so from this first cup onward we were basically just constantly caffeinated.We took a buggy ride in Central Park! It was expensive but cool.We did as much and as many touristy things as we could do, but we still didn't see it all. We saved some stuff for next time! I loved the ceiling of Grand Central Station.Sean was really excited about this library because it's in Ghostbusters. FYI: most of what we knew about New York previous to actually visiting was from movies. ...at the Saks Fifth Avenue that is actually ON Fifth Avenue! The first day we were there it was HOT and humid, and after walking around we ducked into Saks to drink iced tea upstairs and enjoy their complimentary air conditioning.LIZ LEMONBut really...Rockefeller Center was super beautiful. I was deeply impressed by Zoltar at FAO Schwartz, having watched BIG about 5,000 times.We went to Central Park several times, but didn't see the whole park. Not by a long shot....spent some time by the Conservatory Water so Sean could play with the remote control sail boats.Ah yes I ruined these sneakers. They are cheapos from Urban Outfitters, they don't have a long lifespan anyway, but they are ruined.Yes we ate bagels! Somewhere in my brain I knew better than to ask for it to be toasted, but the lady behind me did NOT know this, and so got a good talking to by the cashier. "Yo, we don't DO that. Our bagels are baked fresh every day! We don't even HAVE a toaster!!"At pizza at Lombardi's in Little Italy. It was pretty magical.We found ourselves in Dean and Deluca one afternoon. I love it there. Some friends of ours recommended this hot dot place. I'm a vegetarian, so I didn't have one, but I DID enjoy their over the top fruit decorations....and exuberant signage.Here's the work part of my adventures: I got to visit the publishers that I'm working with right now! This is my visitor badge from Scholastic, and their amazing carpet which has their mission statement weaved right into it. SO cool. I met up with the art director and book designer for a book I'm illustrating (to be announced!), and we had lunch and actually got to talk in person. This is an odd side effect of being a freelance artist: often your 'co-workers' are remote, and even though you e-mail or talk on the phone, there's nothing that compares to meeting in person. My feeling is that that experience was super important...another reason I'd like to go back!...well it WAS my vacation sort of, so I had my fair share of tasty drinks. This is the lobby of Random House (doing a book with them too!), which was AMAZING. It's wall to wall books, on these cool shelves. Super impressive in person. I don't think the photo does it justice at all....and lunch with Random House folks! That's my agent Kirsten (who I also met in person for the first time on this trip), editor, book designer and me. I'm glad that Kirsten was friendly and thoughtful enough to get someone to take this picture...it was a lunch worth commemorating. Oh yeah, and more fooling around in Central Park. I made Sean paddle me around in a boat. How could we NOT?!GROS

Here is my newest drawing of a nude, completed today. This nude woman is surrounded by vibrant color! I created this drawing using my favorite materials, at present, which are gel and micron pens on 140 lb. paper. If you wish to purchase this drawing, you may do so on Etsy here. I shall also list it on Ebay.

After Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910). Dad's Coming, from Harper's Weekly, 1873. Wood engraving. Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts. 1963.30.959

The website for Art of the Carolinas is now live. This fabulous event will be held November 7 - 10 in Raleigh, North Carolina.Choose from over 100 workshops taught by top art instructors from around the country. I am thrilled to be part of this exciting gathering of artists and art manufacturers.Look for me in the list of instructors.Click here to see the workshops I will be giving at this colossal art event. Notice that both the workshops I will be presenting are sponsored by Golden Artist Colors. All paints and mediums will be supplied by Golden.I hope to see many of you in November, but remember, space is limited, so sign up soon!

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1841–1919) Oarsmen at Chatou,1879 The "Impressionists on Water" show at the Legion has received, at best, tepid reviews from our local art critics. I suppose that they prefer work that is considered more challenging, like the current show of work by Nicole Eisenman at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Impressionism is so familiar to us by now that we have forgotten what a radical movement it was, a new way of experiencing the world through quick sensations, expressed in paint. Even their preferred mode of painting - en plain air - was considered revolutionary. They experienced nature directly, instead of through the medium of staged sets within a studio setting. Their art making depended on the radical changes in art supplies which included portable easels and manufactured paint in tubes. The impressionists created a work without mythology or kings or monsters; one which still speaks to the sensual and sensitive within us. Paul Signac (French, 1863–1935). A? Flessingue (At Flushing, Netherlands),1896 But in these perilous times, where it looks like we might be throwing more money at yet another Middle Eastern country in the middle of a confusing civil war, what would be better for the spirit than experiencing beautiful art? Why art that is beautiful became suspect and then, denigrated and even despised is an essay for another time. But for now, imagine yourself floating down the Seine on a summer day in 1898. The Franco-Prussian war is over and the horrors of WW I not even on the horizon. Enjoy a brief moment of tranquility before the 20th century arrived, beginning with optimism and ending with the destruction of so much that was promised but seldom delivered. Paul Signac (French, 1863–1935). Le Soir (Abend-La Jete?e de Flessingue) (Evening), published in Pan,1898 http://www.examiner.com/list/impressionists-on-water-opening-at-the-legion-of-honor

Photographs from the Iraqi invasion at the de Young, a Sunday lecture at the Museum of the African Diaspora, Leibovitz at the San Jose Museum of Art and a call for artists from the San Francisco Center for the Book: http://www.examiner.com/article/bay-area-weekend-picks-for-june-15-16

"Much Ado About Nothing" is as charming and as well acted as any viewer could hope for. Filmed in 12 days in black and white, it's a breezy, somewhat truncated version of the original and will delight viewers with it's modern take and fast clip. In the summer of 2011, the writer-director Joss Whedon, having completed principal photography on Marvel's Avengers Assemble, was contractually obliged to take a week off before he began editing. Instead of taking the time off, Whedon, a Shakespearean geek from a long ways back, and at the urging of his wife, decided to film a play.Those familiar with Shakespeare's version won't find anything startling about this: Claudio (Fran Kranz) falls in love with Heor (Jullian Morgese). At the same time. Benedict (Alexis Denisoff) and Beatrice (Amy Archer) trade barbs. Their encounters are made all the more bitter by Benedict's betrayal of Beatrice's love. The Duke (Reed Diamond) and his entourage have decided to play a little trick on the two antagonists. When the two enemies are in view, but ostensibly hidden, the rest of the gossip what the two are really madly in love with each other.Soon enough, both Beatrice and Benedict are being fools for love; Denisoff shows a real talent for physical comedy which will come as no surprise to those who saw him as Wesley in both "Buffy" and "Angel."The snake in the grass is the Duke's bastard brother, slickly and sexily played by Sean Maher, another Whedon regular, who sets up the lovers for a nasty bit of misunderstanding. Villainy, comedic turn by Nathan Fillion as the weary fool, head of a security firm, a fake death are resolved for a happy ending for all. Don't worry about spoilers. Playgoers since Shakespeare's day know how the play will end. Lacking the artificial suspense of an unknown ending, viewers can relax and enjoy the Southern California setting and lines spoken clearly with an American accent. Whedon's stripped down version works better in the comedic scenes than in the one's which need Shakespearean narrative. But for lovers of good, old-fashioned romantic comedy, it's this summer's sparkling hit. Directed by Joss Whedon; written by Mr. Whedon, based on the play by Shakespeare; director of photography, Jay Hunter; edited by Daniel S. Kaminsky and Mr. Whedon; music by Mr. Whedon; production design by Cindy Chao and Michele Yu; costumes by Shawna Trpcic; produced by Mr. Whedon and Kai Cole; released by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes.WITH: Amy Acker (Beatrice), Alexis Denisof (Benedick), Nathan Fillion (Dogberry), Fran Kranz (Claudio), Jillian Morgese (Hero), Sean Maher (Don John), Reed Diamond (Don Pedro), Clark Gregg (Leonato) and Tom Lenk (Verges). http://www.examiner.com/article/joss-whedon-s-witty-homage-to-shakespeare-much-ado-about-nothing