Do you need talent to make art? Or does calling anything 'art' make you talented?

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For two millennia, great artists set the standard for beauty. Now those standards are gone. Modern art is a competition between the ugly and the twisted; the most shocking wins. What happened? How did the beautiful come to be reviled and bad taste come to be celebrated?

I mostly agree with the speaker, Robert Florczak. I especially like the figure skating analogy. Art is a talent, some display of talent is required. Simply declaring something art is not a talent, nor is having a name and reputation a talent. If we compare visual art to audible art (music) we see that we demand music adhere to standards and requires talent. We don't record the sound of a bulldozer and accept it as music because some one says so or because a Stevie Wonder or an Adele recorded it. And by accepting a pile of poo as art, does it not diminish and insult people with talent, a talent they often spent thousands of hours studying and perfecting?

Double Whammy from the US Postal Service

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I was aware of the upcoming price increase for shipping packages, which will reportedly come to about a 9.4% increase across the board.  Now I've just found out that they will also be eliminating the discount for creating and printing your own labels online, which I do (but I guess I won't bother anymore). So for us online shippers we're losing the discount and getting a rate increase all at once!

I will evaluate the new shipping costs and try to keep the fee as reasonable as possible. Today will be the last day for the current shipping rate. 

New Double Release: Looking & Looking Back

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As the song says, "Just one look, that's all it took." 

My new works are two individual paintings that also work as a single scene when hung together, a diptych if you will.  The scene zeros in on that moment when you get caught looking, when eyes meet and you just 'know'.  I think that's much more exciting than today's tech society method of scrolling through pics on an app and asking 'you looking?'

Get 10% off the regular price during the official Debut Week.
For originals info and purchasing go here: Looking (left side) and Looking Back (right side)

Looking
from $45.00
Looking Back
from $45.00

"Hung" in great company

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An art patron sent me pics of one of my originals he owns, "Hung" (upper left).  I love seeing where my 'kids' end up finding homes.  I'm honored to be part of this gorgeous collection he has, and to be hung next to one of Tom Jones works (lower left).  Tom was very influential in my journey of turning my art hobby into a full time career. 

January: Print of the Month Contest

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WIN A FREE PRINT or get $10 off a signed and numbered limited edition print of "Sweat. Pant." for participating! 

All you need to do is post a comment below about the artwork. At the end of the month I'll pick my favorite. The winner gets a limited edition studio print of "Sweat. Pant." ($75 value) and the rest of the participants get an exclusive coupon code for $10 off the print. 

Scroll down to the comments section to leave your post.  In order to get your prize or receive your coupon code you must INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS in the 'optional' log in field. Your email address is not posted publicly. 

Comments must be of sincere quality and meet standards for approval by the moderator. 

Unapproved comments are not eligible. One coupon code per order.

Congratulations to Dennis who was the winner of a "Lust In Translation" print in the December Print of the Month Contest.

5 Copies Available

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UPDATE: SOLD OUT
Those went amazingly fast.  I'll see what I can do about getting a few more after the holidays.  Make sure you're on my newsletter email list.

If you wanna be notified if/when I get more use the CONTACT link to email me your email address. 

I have just gotten my hands of 5 copies of "Capolavoro di Uomo" the incredible coffee table book featuring 45 outstanding living artists of gay/male erotica, plus a tribute to Steve Walker.  I just checked on Amazon and they have 1 copy available for $1,750.00.  So this is quite a bargain, plus you can have it signed by the cover artist (that's me!).  

On the Drawing Board: Two-fer

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I didn't think I would switch back and forth between the two paintings in my diptych as much as I have.  I find I'm almost doing them in tandem.  I knew I'd want to do both faces first, because for me, I have to get the faces right before anything else comes together.  It is not fun to spend time and effort nearly completing an entire painting, and then crash and burn because I saved a face for last and just can't get it right.  It has been a long time since I've had a total fail on a figures face but I always feel that possibility is there.   

A diptych, as I would describe,  is basically one scene that is comprised of two paintings.  The paintings share a common edge.  Originally the term defined them as being displayed hinged together, but today they are commonly just hung side by side.  The two paintings can also work by themselves.  

On the Drawing Board: character development

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For me the creative process feels like writing a show.  First comes the idea for the scene, then comes the outline.  It's only when I start working with the pastels do I get to 'meet the actor' in the roll.  Sure I have a basic idea of what I want but they evolve and develop as I work, until at some point I have welcomed someone new to my growing cast of characters, "well, hello there!"