Cape Cod and NYC

Eastham MA, near our bed and breakfast

Karen and I got back from out trip to Cape Cod and New York a couple of days ago. We went up there to attend the opening night reception of our two person show at Tree's Place Gallery in Orleans. In our 30+ years together this was our longest trip away from home. We took two days for Cape Cod and then added another four days in New York.

Karen with Julie's (the gallery director) soon to be father in law

The first day on the cape was spent mostly just getting there. We did stop by the gallery then we checked into our B&B and headed out to the beach. After cleaning up, we went to our favorite place to eat. A restaurant specializing in South African cuisine, with really great vegetarian dishes called Karoo Cafe. The last time we were on Cape Cod the Karoo had a single location in Provincetown, but this year they had added a second location in Eastham. Which just happened to be where we were staying.

Me with Steve and Sue Zafarana opening night

The day of the show was spent entirely in Provincetown. A visit there is always on our to-do list when we go to the cape. Lot's of galleries and of course the Karoo Cafe. Our friend Johniene Papandreas has a gallery there called Gallery Voyeur, and it was really nice having time to visit with her. After a full day of visiting galleries we finally had to leave to get back to Orleans in time for the opening of our show. 

When we arrived people had already begun to show up. A good sign. I was really happy to see our friends Sue and Steve Zafarana. They are type designers and artists and I love that they take the time to come to my shows. 

Donna, the owner and Julie, the gallery director

I think it's safe to say that the show was a success. The gallery space was nearly full the entire evening with enthusiastic art lovers, and by the time the doors closed we had sold seven paintings between the two of us. Donna, the owner, Julie the gallery director, Karen and I were all pretty pleased and went out to eat after the show to celebrate. Karen and I had to make it an early evening because we needed to catch the 8:45 train to New York from Boston the next morning. 

About a block from our hotel

We got to the train with time to spare and the ride in was pretty nice. We got to our hotel a little early, and they didn't have any high rooms with a view, so we met my brother Doug at the pier near 29th street and had a drink and relaxed until more rooms came available. A couple of hours later we returned to the hotel and had a great room on the 22nd floor with a wonderful view of lower Manhattan. We all had dinner that evening at a very nice vegetarian restaurant called Blossom then called it a night.

Karen and Doug at the Met

The next morning we met up with Doug and had breakfast at the Chelea Cafe before heading up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I just love that place. As always there's never enough time to see as much as you'd like, but we got in about five hours. When we left the Met we walked to the Guggenheim to see the James Turrell exhibition. Doug and his team had spent a huge amount of time working out the mechanics of the exhibit and constructing the installation and he was anxious for us to see it. The crowds have been huge for this exhibition, and it was really nice getting in through the back door with Doug. I felt a little guilty at first, but that faded pretty quickly. Before we entered the rotunda I thought it was just going to be another light show, but it was much more than that. It's really impressive.

View from our seats on the Frying Pan

We finished up the evening with dinner at the Lightship Frying Pan back at Pier 66 where we had had a drink the day before. It was a beautiful night and we stayed there for a very long time enjoying the scenery and the cool night air. 

On our way to the galleries in Chelsea

Day three started like the previous two days with breakfast at the Chelsea Cafe. Doug was back at work at the Guggenheim, and our plans were to spend a good portion of the day checking out the galleries in Chelsea. It was still early when we finished breakfast so we walked over to the High Line and strolled the length a couple of times until a little after ten then headed to the gallery district. Our plans were dashed when it seemed that every gallery we came to was "closed for installation". There must have been been a gallery walk planned for later in the week, because a huge number of galleries were closed. I have to say most of the work we saw in the galleries that were open was pretty sad, so in the end the gallery adventure was kind of a bust.

Barbar shop in Chelsea

I had purchased a new camera for this trip. I wanted something smaller than my DSLR to walk around with and do some street photography, so I got a Fuji interchangeable lens compact. I also wanted to do some black and white while we were in New York. Something I hadn't done that since the days of film. Hence the black and white shots in this post. It was really fun thinking in black and white again. Since the gallery thing didn't pan out we just walked and shot. Karen bought a new Sony RX100ii for the trip. It's an awesome camera and she got some great shots there. That night we had dinner with Doug at a terrific Chinese restaurant called Grand Sichuan not too far from our hotel and planned the next days adventure. 

Doug outside Lombardi's Pizza with Karen and I in the window

Our plans were to spend the day walking around lower Manhattan. Karen and I wanted to see Soho, Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Chinatown and the lower East side, so Doug took off from work and we all spent the day walking and taking lots of photographs.

One of the great things about being in a city with someone who's been there for a while is that you don't just pass by structures that have some historical significance. Two of the places that Doug pointed out to us were Jasper Johns studio from the sixties, and the building that is on the cover of the Led Zeppelin album Physical Graffiti. 

Me photographing fish at a market in Chinatown

We had a wonderful time that day. The weather was perfect and we got tons of pictures. Our trek finished up at Washington Square Park. Lots of people and a festive atmosphere. We hung out here for quite a while. At one point we came across a jazz trio playing under the trees which was terrific.

Jazzman with a pint sized fan

Doug eventually had to go back to work, and we hung out at the park a little longer. After a long rest listening to some really good jazz it was time for us to go too so we walked up Fifth Avenue back towards our hotel. We met Doug one last time for dinner that night then said our good byes went back to our room to pack for the flight home. 

It was a great trip. Kind of sad it's over, but it's good to get back to work. 

Fire Truck

Fire Truck  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on Panel

I just finished a new painting for Rehs Galleries in New York. I did this toy truck once before and wanted to try it again. It's still drying and won't be ready to ship for a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I've got my canvas ready and am working on the drawing for a piece for C. K. Contemporary in San Francisco. It's going to be a big one, and those always really freak me out. Due to the time it will probably take, I'll more than likely be posting some in progress shots. 

Karen and I in American Art Collector

Karen and I shipped our paintings up to Tree's Place Gallery yesterday for our two person show August 31st. Shipping is always a stressful time. Putting months of work into someone else's hands to deliver is tough. Neither one of us can truly relax until we get a confirmation from the gallery that everything has arrived undamaged. 

Click the page to view an enlarged version

Our mood was lightened quite a bit this morning when we checked our mail and discovered the September issue of American Art Collector.  I have to say, it's really nice to see your work in print. This is the third time I've had my paintings in AAC, the second for Karen and it's just as exciting each time. 

Click the page to view an enlarged version

I'm finishing up a new painting for Rehs Galleries now, and I'll have a post of that in a day or two. Then I'm dedicating myself to C. K. Contemporary Gallery in San Francisco for a while. These paintings may be pretty big, so I'll probably include some in progress shots.

A Bowl of Pool Balls

Pool Bowl No. 22  |  18 x 18  |  Oil on panel

It has been ages since I painted a bowl filled with pool balls, but if you check the number of this particular version you'll see that I've spent a lot of time with this subject. So, when Reh's Galleries asked specifically for a new one I jumped at a chance to meet back up with an old friend. 

The Pool Bowl took a full two weeks, longer than I anticipated, and as I completed it I suddenly realized that I was quickly running out of time to complete work for my show at Tree's Place coming up at the end of August. I was hoping to do two more for that show, but I've got a little less than a month to have them all finished, and the one I just started is quite large, so it's going to be close. There's a chance I may come up one short. 2013 has been a year of tight deadlines and it looks as though that trend will continue for some time yet. 

Juice O Matic

Juice O Matic  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on canvas

I'm emailing this image to Cape Cod today in hopes that it will not be too late to be included in the Tree's Place catalog for the fall show. The printer deadline was the end of June, so it may be a lost cause. This is a really cool vintage "Juice O Matic" orange squeezer I picked up at an antique store the last time my brother Doug was in town from New York. It's fitting that I complete this during his most recent visit which ends today. I thought this particular piece would fit in nicely with the other two "fruit based" paintings I have already completed for our show. 

Now I need to divert my attention from the show for a little while to complete a couple of paintings for Rehs Gallery. When those are done, it's back to work on the last two paintings for the show, and after that I'm dedicating myself to C. K. Contemporary Gallery in San Francisco. They've been extremely patient, and it's time to repay their kindness. 

Hover

Hover  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on canvas

I was really in the mood to paint something with lots of colors, so I went searching for one of my vintage tin toys. This tin top was just what I was looking for. This piece went rather quickly and I've still got about a week before the printers deadline for images to go into the catalog for the Tree's Place Gallery show is up. I think I can squeeze in one more small(ish) painting for them before time runs out. Then I've got to get going on the Pool Bowl painting for Rehs. 

Vintage

Vintage  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on canvas

Tree's Place Gallery is producing a catalog for the show they are having for Karen and I in August, and their printer needs as many images as he can get before the end of the month in order to have the piece ready in time to promote our show. I've got two weeks left and I'm hoping I can get one more done by the deadline. Once this printing deadline is past, I need to get a couple of paintings to Rehs Gallery before I return to work completing the show for Tree's. When that is done I'll start to work on paintings for C. K. Contemporary. They've been incredibly patient and have earned some serious attention. 

Heinz

Heinz  |  24 x 24  |  oil on panel

So, this isn't a Pool Bowl painting. I received word from Tree's Place that they were producing a catalog to advertise our show there this fall. They needed to have as many images of paintings as they could get, as quickly as possible, in order to meet their printers deadline. I knew they would be printing some type of promotional material, but I didn't realize that they would need the images so soon. The deadline is the end of June, so I had to re-think my painting plans and get back to work for the show. 

As if the deadline wasn't enough pressure, this piece proved to be a real bear to paint. Some paintings flow along smoothly as you and the canvas work together as a team and others, like this one, fight you every inch of the way. I'm claiming victory, but it was an epic battle. 

Pocket Knife with Cherries

Pocket Knife with Cherries  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on canvas

This is the second painting slated for my summer show at Tree's Place Gallery. As I mentioned before, this will be the first time Karen and I have shared the spotlight since 2007, and we're both really looking forward to it. As always, I'm behind, and producing a shows worth of paintings plus getting new work to my other galleries as well means a busy spring and summer. Howard Rehs at Rehs Galleries, Inc. has requested a pool bowl and I'll be starting that today. Haven't done one of those in a long time. It'll be a relatively large painting, so I'll probably post some in progress shots along the way.

Coke for Tree's Place

Coca Cola  |  24 x 36  |  Oil on canvas

The Delta commission has been delivered and is making its' way up to New York with all the other artwork and photography slated for the Delta Sky Club at JFK. Susan Nicole-Gibbs head of Twinhouse Art Advisory, Inc. who arranged the job will be there to oversee the installation has promised me that she would take a lot of photos so I can see how the paintings look in their new home. 

Now I'm back working for the galleries once more. Coca Cola (above) is the first piece for the two person show Karen and I are having at Tree's Place Gallery this summer. 

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 5 - Tail

Delta Commission: Tail  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

The completion of the tail section brings the commission to a close. I won't be able to fully relax until these are in the hands of the client, but overall this was a really fun, albeit stressful endeavor. I love painting aircraft, and this commission got me cranked to do a large warbird painting sometime this year using one of the images I got at the Reno Air Races last fall. 

Now it's time to get working on a two person show I'll be sharing with my wife Karen for Tree's Place Gallery at the end of August. I also need to get new paintings to my other galleries as well. Karen and I haven't joined forces for a show since 2007 and I'm looking forward to it. We're thinking of including another visit to NYC either before or after the opening on Cape Cod. We had a great time there last year, and it would also give me a chance to visit my little brother again. 

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 4 - Wing

Delta Commission: Wing  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

In the final stretch. I've been going back and forth with the last two paintings, working on various parts of one while various parts of the other were drying. Number five will be completed today, which coincidentally is my deadline day to finish. Whew! This commission took every minute of my allotted time. Now all I have to do is let them dry, varnish and deliver. If these are in the hands of the client on the 9th I'll breath a huge sigh of relief. I might even take a day off and go see a movie.

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 3 - Nose

Delta Commission: Nose  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

Moving along, here is the third painting for JFK. Although this seems to be a less complicated composition than the previous two, for me, it was the most difficult to paint. The reflections in the body of the aircraft were a real challenge. I think I achieved my goal with this piece, but it was a real bear. The next two paintings will include the tail section, and so will add a bit of color. I'm really looking forward to putting in that blast of red in the Delta logo.

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 2 - Engine

Delta Commission: Engine  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

This is the second of five commissioned paintings for the Delta Sky Club at JFK. It's funny, when I was in tech school working towards my Airframe & Powerplant license, my classmates would often comment on the notes I'd take in class. They were usually embellished with little drawings and they would say, "man, why are you here, you should be an artist!". My hope, at that time was that I would upon graduation go to work for Delta Airlines. That didn't happen, but now 30+ years later I'm actually working as an artist, and will have my paintings hanging in the Delta Airlines Sky Club. 

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 1 - Fuselage

Delta Commission: Fuselage  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

Here is an image of the first of five paintings slated for the Delta Airlines Sky Club at JFK. Each of the five represents a specific component of the aircraft, starting with the nose and yes ending with the tail. These will not be completed any particular order, but hopefully will be presented on site running nose to tail. I'm starting on the second pass of the engine composition today, and when it's complete I'll post its' image. I've got two weeks to complete the next four paintings. Long days ahead.

Delta Commission: First Pass

The Delta Commission is coming along. I'm really working like a dog to get these done in the timeframe I've been given. But they are fun. At this point I've got the under painting done for each of the five pieces. Each composition has taken two to three days to complete its' first pass. 

*I didn't put much time into color correcting these images since they are each still very rough.

This first pass has been spent basically blocking in the components. The colors are close but need work and the highlights and shadows will be enhanced in successive passes. The sky also needs to be blended and grayed down a bit. 

At this point in the process I essentially want to see all of the components of the aircraft working together as a single unit, and have the sense that the structure has mass.

Since painting at this stage is mostly mid-tones they do look a little boring, that's why I really love the second and third passes. When you start to refine the detail and enhance the colors, shadows and highlights the piece really starts to come alive.

One of my favorite compositions of the group is the view of engine number one. I don't know, I just love that crop.

So now it's on to the second pass. Two passes will probably be sufficient for some of these compositions, and others may take three. I'll most likely hold off on any more in progress shots and wait to reveal all of the completed pieces at one time. 

Photography and a Commission

One of the five panels with the first pass of the sky laid in.

It's been a very long time since my last post, but I've had a lot going on. The bulk of my time has been spent doing photography of some new items I picked up on ebay. I've shot close to a thousand photos, which will eventually be whittled down to around thirty images that are deemed paintworthy. I've culled out most of the chosen, and am looking forward to  getting them onto canvas, but they'll have to wait a bit longer because I've picked up a big commission with very short time frame.

The five panels ready to begin the aircraft component.

I'll be doing five 16 x 16 paintings for the new Delta Sky Club at JFK. The subject will be various aircraft views (oh boy). My work will be presented on a wall comprised of seven wood panels. One painting will be centered in each of the five middle panels. I've done the photography, picked my favorites, had them approved, transferred the drawings and got the first layer of the sky painted into each panel. Now it's time to begin working on the actual aircraft. 

This commission has to be done very quickly but I may post "in progress" shots. It all depends on how it goes.

Sunbeam Mixer No.2: Complete

Sunbeam Mixer No.2   |   24 x 24   |   Oil on panel

Well, it took more than a few days to finish up the mixer. It took nine more days to be exact. Some days I'd cover a lot of ground and on others I'd spend the entire day working on a section about 3 inches square. It was a fun painting, and honestly I wasn't in a hurry to be done with it. I think I'll flip it around and paint the other side one day. The opposite side is a little different with a cool cap on the end of the body. When this has dried and been varnished I'll be sending it up to Rehs Galleries Inc in New York. 

My wife Karen and I will be sharing the spotlight this fall in a two person show at Tree's Place Gallery. I'm looking forward to doing a show together again. I plan to have some of my standards, but I've also been busy scouring ebay for cool props, and have acquired a bunch of new stuff to paint. I hope some/all of them prove to be popular subjects. I'll be spending the next week or so working on  photography, so I won't be posting much to Blogger or FaceBook. 

See you when I get back to my easel.

Sunbeam Mixer No.2: in Progress Day 7

Sunbeam Mixer No.2  |  24 x 24  |  oil on panel  |  in Progress: Day 7

Moving along. I finished up the first pass yesterday, and worked a little on the second pass of the handle. I'm still not sure how I'm going to treat the background. I thought I liked this pale green, but it looks a bit washed out, so I'll probably play with some different colors until I come up with something that works. As with the Coke in progress updates, I'll probably stop here and then reveal the final painting when it's complete. I think the images from here on in will look so similar that they will all tend to meld together. Be back in a few days.

Sunbeam Mixer No.2: in Progress Day 5

Sunbeam Mixer No.2  |  24 x 24  |  oil on panel  |  in Progress: Day 5

A couple of days later, and I've moved horizontally across the body of the mixer and down into the stand. Basically blocking in the structure with very little refinement. I hope to finish the stand and begin working on the blade attachment and mixing blades today. I think I can complete the first pass within the next day or two. Then it's back to the top to start all over again with the first of (probably) two refining passes. 

Sunbeam Mixer No.2: in Progress Day 3

Sunbeam Mixer No.2   |   24 x 24   |   Oil on panel   |   in Progress: Day 3

There was some re-scheduling done with the last planned Coke commission, so I decided to move on to what I had intended to paint next. I had done this mixer once before in a full frontal version, but wanted to paint it again in profile to take advantage of its awesome reflectivity. 

I figured I'd go ahead and post "in progress" images of this piece. I got a pretty nice response from visitors to the in progress photos I posted of the Coke commission, so I thought why not try it again. This is the third day of painting. 

Coke Classic: Complete

Coke Classic   |   24 x 24   |   Oil on panel

I finished up the Coke commission last night. The incremental stages completed since the last post looked so similar, that I decided to go ahead and finish up the painting then reveal it in the final post. 

My next post will probably evoke feelings of deja vu since it will be another commission, and it will be another Coca Cola painting. I'm waiting for the client to decide on a composition. I may do the "in progress" thing again with it. I'll decide when I get rolling. When that painting is done I'll get back to creating paintings for the galleries. 

Coke Classic in Progress: Day 10

Coke Commission in Progress: Day 10  |  24 x 24  |  oil on panel

Four more days and I've laid in the table top, begun to refine the carton and I've started the second pass on the full bottle to the left. It looks like this painting will probably need three passes. At the moment I'm working in the area around the word Coke. The spot just below "Coke" where the medium ends defines the current active area. Still have a ways to go before this one is done, but it's beginning to come together. 

For Which It Stands: Americana in Contemporary Art

Early in 2012 I was contacted by Carla Sakamoto (see below for her info) about participating in a book she was curating about americana in contemporary art. She had seen the paintings I had done for Print Pack, Inc., here in Atlanta and wanted to include them. Needless to say I was happy to oblige and immediately sent her hi-res images of those paintings. My one request to her was that I receive a copy of the book. Well, true to her word, yesterday was my birthday and FedEx left a copy at my door.

I have to say, it's a very beautiful book and I'm really proud to have had my work included. The quality of the printing is exceptional and the artwork is impressive. It's 400 pages and is divided into three sections: Capitalism / Greed, Equality / Prejudice, and Freedom / Limitations. The artwork includes paintings, sculpture and photography by a variety of artists. I was happy to see a few paintings by my buddy Otto Lange included. If you think you might like a copy a number of bookstores carry it, or if you prefer online shopping here is a link to the book on Amazon.

Carla Sakamoto is an art and design book editor and writer based in New York City. Having begun her career in magazine publishing at The Condé Nast Publications, she then received her Master's degree in Modern Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and has since been a book editor for leading illustrated book publishing houses such as Rizzoli International Publications, Assouline Publishing, and Acanthus Press for over ten years. Her expertise in illustrated books includes developing and packaging visually-arresting children's picture books with renowned artists and graphic designers. In addition, she currently writes art criticism for Artwrit.com and has also written on art, architecture, design, fashion, food, and lifestyle topics for Surface, Blackbook, and Bon Appétit magazines.

Coke Classic In Progress: Day 6

Coke Commission  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on panel  |  Day 6

I've got three more days into the Coke commission. At this point the first pass on all of the bottles is finished and I've done a little work on the carton. Today I'll start to work on the table top and when that's completed then I'll go back to work on the carton. Once the first pass is done on the entire composition I'll start back on the full bottle and begin to work my way to the right. I work from top left to bottom right. Not sure why but always have. 

Coke Classic In Progress: Day Three

Coca Cola Classic  |  24 x 24  |  Oil on panel  |  In Progress: Day Three

I'm starting off 2013 with a commission. This will be another of my Classic Coke series, which is essentially variations on a carton of empty Coca Cola bottles. It's been a while since I've posted "in progress" images of one of my paintings, and I thought it was time to try it again. This is the piece at the end of the third day of painting. I will usually do two, occasionally three, passes to complete a piece. At this point I've transferred the drawing to the panel, laid in the background color, painted the type and carton color with acrylic and started the glass on the full bottle. I've never begun with an acrylic layer before, but my friend Jeff Cohen swears by it, so I thought I'd give a go. I don't plan to post each days progress, but I hope to show enough steps to give an idea of how one of these paintings evolves.

Coinage No.2  |  12 x 12  |  Oil on panel

Even with the goings on during the holidays I managed to get in one more painting before the end of the year. This is a commission for one of my best friends. He's had an interest in coins for a long time and asked me to put something together using these three. I'll be delivering it to him on Saturday. Hope he likes it.

Happy Holidays

I wanted to say thanks to those of you that took the time to visit my blog in 2012.

I hope you all have a great holiday season.

Cheers, Neil

Next Commission & A Big Sale

Big Ketchup No. 2   |   18 x 24   |   Oil on panel

It's been nearly a month since my last blog post, yikes. I've spent most of those days working on Big Ketchup No.2, my third commission to come from the Tree's Place show last July on Cape Cod. I have to admit I took a few days off in November to celebrate the holiday. My brother Doug came in from New York, and the we all had a really great time. 

Panchito   |   40 x 40  |   Oil on canvas

I also received some good news from Lauren Ellis at C. K. Contemporary Gallery in San Francisco. She wrote a couple of weeks ago to let me know that Panchito had sold to a collector in Switzerland. Whenever I sell an airplane, I feel it gives me permission to paint another. I plan on delving into the photos I took at the Reno Air Races in September. Can't hardly wait, but . . . I'll have to because Lauren also said that the owner of the gallery would like a commissioned piece for himself. So, now I've got four more commissions to do before I can raid the Reno archive. Not a bad problem to have.