Welcome back all!

     And welcome to the newcomers from Henderson/Las Vegas. Sorry I disappeared for a while there. This has been the longest gap yet between newsletters! After the Vegas show, I got sick (like really sick for the first time since 1988), and then was scrambling to finish up a video project and get lots-o-things done before I was due to spend 5 weeks working on a feature in San Diego. Whew!

     Well, drama and chaos continue to reign supreme in the film industry and that schedule completely changed, so fortunately I am no longer going to San Diego for the month. I'm quite relieved as it gives me much more time to get ready for these next two shows, and to relax, and hang out with my pesky but adorable offspring. I hate to say it, but age is sure teaching me to appreciate time off!

     I would tell you all about the Vegas show, but they say "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas", and I fear some men in black from the LV chamber of commerce might hunt me down. Suffice it to say, it was HOT!!!! and I was quite glad to be inside the convention center, where things went quite well.

     Above and Left are some digital tinkerings of mine for "deconstructed" versions of the "rose shadow" and "Sunset & Harley" paintings. Again, these are just digital manipulations, experiments that I thought I would share with you guys as I pursue this intriguing path.

     In the case of "rose shadow", I had Tom (my giclee feller) actually dissect the file digitally and print up separate panels similar to what you see above. I still have to stretch them and mount them together. Then my plan is to reunify them with some more 'surface' rose pedals, especially at the seams between separate panels.

     For the Harley piece, I attacked one of my HUGE giclee's (originally 40" x 60") with a utility knife, and cut it up into the smaller panels myself. I have stretched and mounted this piece, and it came out a bit different than this digital prototype. I'm still working on it, and as soon as it is done I will share it here. For now, I thought I would show you all what I've been playing with, and I welcome ANY and ALL feedback!
 

     I've got much catching up yet to do on current orders, restocking galleries, and preparing for these next two shows, so I suspect I won't get to much new painting until the end of June. I'm taking nearly two months off from shows at that point and have a few paintings in line to work on then. And for those wondering whatever happened to it - I hope to be able to revisit my "Painted Pony" piece then as well.

     My latest project however, is that I've just purchased a new pigment based printer so that I can create some of my own smaller giclee's. For instance, I will be able to do generate the small (9"x9") square soaps here at my studio, so I can experiment with different colors and such. With the popularity of "flash faucet", I've decided to explore similar options for it, as seen below.

     (above) These are different manifestations of the small "flash-faucet" piece, which I hope to be premiering at the upcoming Burbank show. I intend to have an entire display wall of naught but small soaps and faucets in varying colors so people can mix and match what they like.

     I've also finally added a larger size 'matted print' to my inventory, so many of my paintings are now available as a 10"x14" image in a 16"x20" matte. I emphasize that I have gone completely top quality with these prints as well. These are pigment inks on either high-quality, semi-gloss photo paper, or watercolor paper, generating the longest lasting color prints (rated at up to 200 years), behind a very nice double edged, white core matte, and backed with a thick, acid-free backing board.     

     These days, many matted prints out there are simply standard dye ink prints on coated paper, single matted, and backed with matteboard (not acid-free), which all contributes to a far shorter lifespan (as well as a cheaper look in my opinion).

     Well, thanks all for your patience! I will check in again after the show in Burbank. For now, I'm in the mood to go ride my bike! :-)