Recent Work
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Welcome!
This is part of an ongoing portrait series I began in 2008, in tribute to those who have been the soundtrack of my life. Each portrait has a story to tell, and hopefully I have captured some of their spirit and essence. Most of the originals I have given to those who inspired each work, or I have donated to charity, for the joy is in the giving. It is my greatest wish that they never be forgotten, that their legacy lives on. For it is these people who have given me the courage to follow my dreams, as they have shown the way.If you are interested in my personal notes about some of the artwork I've created, you will find it here on my art blog.
If you came here looking for my older portfolio of other work in pastels, oils, and digital art and website design, you will find it here on my CBA Studio website.News and Updates:
• 5/5/2013 Happy Cinco de Mayo, friends and visitors! I've been busy all winter working on a bunch of digital illustration work, none of which I've posted yet, but will. Here's one: Carl Palmer in honour of his 2013 World Tour. Know that I am definitely not forsaking traditional painting in oils! I've been exploring the digital side of art, and will continue that also, and maybe some 3D as well. I think its best to choose the medium (or combination) that best expresses the concept. I'd like to use traditonal medium for what it's best for, and Photoshop/Painter for what it's best for, and mix it all up, see how it works.
• 1/9/2013 Celebration Day for Jimmy Page! Happy 69, keep on rockin' it!
• 11/26/2012 First digital painting/illustration is now finished...Greg Lake from the ELP days, playing his Fender Jazz Bass. Inspired by his King Crimson song "Moonchild". I just added a step by step set of screenshots on my tutorials page so you can view how I created this portrait. Wallpaper size versions are available on my Media page.
• 10/1/2012 I've just finished a small oil painting of Jack White in one of his GREAT hats.
• 9/09/2012 Had some fun painting Keith Emerson of ELP (Prog Rock genius!) working from an old B&W ref photo. The challenge: turning B&W into color, adding hands, prosthetics, fire and all sorts of fantasy fun...indeed I do get carried away.
• 8/10/2012 Been practicing my facial anatomy lately by picking some difficult lighting to work with: David Tennant (from Dr. Who) oil on illustration board.
• 7/15/2012 working the magic on Jimmy Page, this is an oil study for a painting I'd like to do life size for the Music Heritage Project museum at Knebworth. It's an iconic pose of Jimmy Page onstage.
• 7/12/2012 new Jack White painting here . After painting his chair, I thought I'd add some character to it, and I love the Medusa image from mythology. A chair is not just a piece of furniture, it has a presence to it.
• 7/3/2012 my Robert Plant painting is featured on Delta Magazine's August 2012 cover! How cool is that?! Robert will be headlining the Sunflower Blues & Gospel Festival, Clarksdale, Mississippi in early August.
• 6/18/2012 In tribute to Jimi Hendrix, a new painting commemorating his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival on this very day, when he lit his guitar on fire before smashing it onstage.
• 4/18/2012 I was one of the lucky people to catch Greg Lake 4/17 in New Bedford, MA. It was a totally brilliant performance highlighting favourites from King Crimson and Emerson Lake & Palmer, with a dash of Elvis and Hendrix just to show off what an incredible talented and versatile musician he really is. His music has always been a huge inspiration for me since the early 70's, so maybe I'm being wishful, but I'm hoping there will also be some new songs tucked into that autobiographical CD of his coming out soon "Lucky Man". If you have the chance to catch Greg Lake on tour right now in the UK, don't miss the chance, you won't be disappointed.
• 4/1/2012 April Fools Day Added one final Alan Rickman painting to the Snape series. I'm only sorry I didn't have time to see him in Seminar when I was in NYC last weekend hanging with friends and checking out Parsons. Next it's on to more Classic Rock stars, getting ready for a gallery show in NY coming up in May, "The Art of Rock Music".
Happy 2012 to EVERYONE!I don't believe in any of the doom and gloom, end of the world events, so onward with Intentions for the New Year. A couple of years ago I read a great book explaining 2012 that I think is really logical: Fractal Time - the Secrets of 2012 and the New World Age by Greg Braden. Do your own calculations with his Fractal Time Calculator here. Even if you don't believe, it still gets you thinking about the possibilities! If this man is wrong, oh well, c'est la vie. We all have to die sometime. I'm not going to worry about it. So, in that spirit, I'll be adding some new work shortly, I'm playing with some new combinations of mediums on Yupo paper. Stay tuned.
10/2/2011 • New wallpaper of Severus Snape due to numerous inquiries! I will have orginals to sell, at some point likely. Maybe I will do a short Harry Potter series if my time allows. Comment me on which HP characters you think I should do.
8/19/11 • The Black Veil Brides portraits commissioned by BVB. BandMerch was kind enough to allow me to upload these as part of my portfolio.
8/3/11 • Finally finished up and inked the artist contract with Black Veil Brides! I am awaiting permission to use the images for my portfolio, but hopefully in a few days I can post the 5 portraits. I just posted a new Nikki Sixx painting, inspired by his album and book with Sixx:AM, "This Is Gonna Hurt".
9/26/10 • I'm just back from a trip to England to help out with Memories In Music's Midlands Exhibit at the St. Paul's Gallery in Birmingham. Except for lack of sleep, we had a great time and kicked off the Music Heritage Project. I contributed quite a bit of Classic Rock artwork to this, some big paintings as well as the poster design and the MHP logo and, of course, the website design. Annie Hollinshead is the Director and person to speak to if you're interested in the Project. You can read more about the Opening Night here, on Memories In Music's blog and about the Music Heritage Project here.
My Philosophy:
I'm naïve enough to believe that each one of us can make this world a better place. We all have gifts to give and share. Well, art is my way.
Music has inspired me throughout my life. In some of the darkest moments, a lyric or a song will lift your heart, give you hope, make the unbearable bearable. Musicians have the power to influence a generation, to be role models for all of us. So it has always been, from Woodstock to Warped Tour.
I started drawing this portrait series in early 2008, and add to it regularly. I've since expanded to paintings, and now experimenting in mixed media portraiture as well as mixing traditional and digital techniques together. The adventure goes on!
Please view, and I hope you enjoy!
