The Art of Venus

Did Leonardo da Vinci Copy This Famous Sketch?

2012-01-31T09:50:00.000-08:00

'Vitruvian Man'

Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of a male figure perfectly inscribed in a circle and square, known as the "Vitruvian Man," illustrates what he believed to be a divine connection between the human form and the universe. Beloved for its beauty and symbolic power, it is one of the most famous images in the world. However, new research suggests that the work, which dates to 1490, may be a copy of an earlier drawing by Leonardo's friend.

Another illustration of a divinely proportioned man — the subject is Christ-like, but the setting is strikingly similar to Leonardo's — has been discovered in a forgotten manuscript in Ferrara, Italy.

Both drawings are depictions of a passage written 1,500 years earlier by Vitruvius, an ancient Roman architect, in which he describes a man's body fitting perfectly inside a circle (the divine symbol) and inside a square (the earthly symbol). It was a geometric interpretation of the ancient belief that man is a "microcosm": a miniature embodiment of the whole universe. Leonardo and other scholars revived this vainglorious notion during the Italian Renaissance.

After decades of study, Claudio Sgarbi, an Italian architectural historian who discovered the lesser known illustration of the Vitruvian man in 1986, now believes it to be the work of Giacomo Andrea de Ferrara, a Renaissance architect, expert on Vitruvius, and close friend of Leonardo's. What's more, Sgarbi believes Giacomo Andrea probably drew his Vitruvian man first, though the two men are likely to have discussed their mutual efforts.

Sgarbi will lay out his arguments in a volume of academic papers to be published this winter, Smithsonian Magazine reports.

The key arguments are as follows: In Leonardo's writings, he mentions "Giacomo Andrea's Vitruvius" — seemingly a direct reference to the illustrated Ferrara manuscript. Secondly, Leonardo had dinner with Giacomo Andrea in July 1490, the year in which both men are thought to have drawn their Vitruvian men. Experts believe Leonardo would have probed Giacomo Andrea's knowledge of Vitruvius when they met. And though both drawings interpret Vitruvius' words similarly, Leonardo's is perfectly executed, while Giacomo Andrea's is full of false starts and revisions, none of which would have been necessary if he had simply copied Leonardo's depiction. [Early Christian Lead Codices Now Called Fakes]

Other scholars find the arguments convincing.

"I find Sgarbi's argument exciting and very seductive, to say the least," said Indra McEwen, an architectural historian at Concordia University who has written extensively about the works of Vitruvius. "But [I] would opt for the view that Giacomo Andrea and Leonardo worked in tandem, rather than Leonardo basing his drawing on Andrea's."

Rather than competitors, the two Renaissance men were colleagues working together to bring a beautiful, ancient idea back to life.

"Whose was the 'original' drawing is a non-question as far as I'm concerned. Much as it is a preoccupation of our own time, I don't think it would have been an issue in Leonardo's day," McEwen told Life's Little Mysteries.

Patrice Le Floch-Prigent, an anatomist at the University of Versailles in France who has analyzed the anatomical correctness of Leonardo's famous work, noted that, for both drawings, "the source is Vitruvius."

Furthermore, regardless of their chronology, Leonardo's work is an improvement on Giacomo Andrea's, McEwen said: "Leonardo is by far the superior draftsman, with a far superior understanding of anatomy."

Leonardo's is also more faithful to the text, she explained.

"Nowhere does Vitruvius say that the man is positioned inside the circle and the square at the same time. 'A man lying flat on his back, can be circumscribed by a circle if his hands and feet are outstretched,' writes Vitruvius. Similarly, his height is equal to his arm span, 'just as in areas that have been squared with a set square.'"

Giacomo Andrea's figure has only one set of arms and legs, which are simultaneously circumscribed by a circle and outlined by a square, while "Leonardo deals with [the two propositions] by having the position of his man's arms and legs change. That, I would have to admit, makes his drawing a closer approximation to the textual description than Giacomo Andrea's," McEwen wrote.

One thing is certain. The better Vitruvian man gained international fame, while the simpler but possibly more original one was left to languish in a library for five centuries. That may have to do with the very different fates met by Leonardo and Giacomo Andrea. When the French invaded Milan in 1499, the former fled to safety and went on to achieve eternal renown. The latter stayed in Milan and was hanged, drawn and quartered by the French, and largely forgotten by history — until now.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46204318

Amy Winehouse Painting

2012-01-28T07:51:00.000-08:00

Venus. Amy Winehouse. Acrylic on Canvas. 40 x 50 in.

Because just one Amy Winehouse wasn't enough........

RIP AMY WINEHOUSE

2011-07-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

My heart is utterly crushed. Today we lost another beautiful artist way too early.... and to what?..... drugs and alcohol. It makes me angry. And it makes me feel robbed...robbed of the beauty that her kind of talent gave to the world. Let's face it, this world can be an ugly place, and the more things we can find to make it more beautiful, the better. Music is beautiful. It gives people peace, comfort, joy and happiness. And to be robbed of more of what she could have given to so many people, yeah, it makes me angry. I am tired of the world losing beautiful people this way.....

To be honest, I never heard one of her songs until today and when I did, I was blown away. I have heard of her, but had not heard her music. How can it be that I have never heard the music of someone who won 5 Grammys? I've heard most everything! Maybe they don't play her music on the radio here, or maybe its because in the time of her rise and fall I have been painting and somehow missed out. But whatever the case, I am sad that I did not get to enjoy her music while she was alive, but now that I have discovered it, I realllllly love her music and I think I will be a fan for life.

Paris Hilton Pop Art Painting

2011-07-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

PARIS HILTON

24 X 30

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

I've been wanting to paint a portrait of Paris Hilton for a long time. I think she's so gorgeous and fun. I chose this Neo Pop Art Style for the first one. This is a large painting and I really love the burgandy wine color with the pink. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I had some trouble with this paint though. The burgandy was very opaque and I had to apply 5 or 6 coats of paint to get the color even. I love how the eyes, though somewhat abstract, follow you around the room. And from a distance it gives the impression of a photograph. Can't wait to paint the next one of Paris!

This painting is available for sale in my Etsy Store http://www.etsy.com/listing/78268864/paris-hilton-original-pop-art-portrait Or on my Website http://www.art-star.net/

Vincent Van Gogh

2011-07-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

VINCENT VAN GOGH

22 X 28

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

I am soooo excited about this painting of Van Gogh. An art god whom I worship. I don't always like most of what I paint but this one I love. I painted it from one of his self portrait paintings. But I rarely copy. If I reproduce another artist's work, I like to make it my own in some way. And I consider this to be pop art because of its implication of realism while incorporating flat color. Sometimes (or most often) I don't know exactly how I am going to construct a painting, but enjoy an intuitive process of letting the painting and its style reveal itself to me. I chose the colors as I went. And because I am such a huge fan of Van Gogh's I love bold color. I chose yellow as the background because it is a complementary color to blue. I think it sets off the painting so well I can't imagine any other color. I like this style so much I intend to paint more portraits in this style. It feels loose and quirky, has a sense of realism without being perfect. I don't like perfection in my paintings. (If I want perfection, I'll just take a photograph!) I sometimes find more interest in the quirks and like the 'impression' of an idea rather than the blatant statement of it. I am after all a fan/follower/worshiper of the Impressionists and Post Impressionists......so ode to Van Gogh. Can't wait to paint him again and other portraits in this style. :)

This painting is for sale in my Etsy Store http://www.etsy.com/listing/78246493/vincent-van-gogh-original-pop-art?ref=v1_other_2 or on My Website http://www.art-star.net/

Man held in Picasso theft; artwork unharmed

2011-07-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

"Tete de Femme," a 1965 drawing by Pablo Picasso that was stolen July 5, 2011, from the Weinstein Gallery in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A New Jersey man who has worked in high-end restaurants in New York City flew to San Francisco on the Fourth of July, walked into a Union Square gallery the next day and stole a Pablo Picasso pencil drawing from the wall, police said Thursday in announcing his arrest.
Mark Lugo, 30, who lives in Hoboken, N.J., had Picasso's "Tête de Femme (Head of a Woman)" ready for shipment when San Francisco police arrested him at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at an apartment complex in Napa, where he was visiting friends, police said.

The 1965 sketch by the Spanish artist was in Lugo's room there, missing the frame that had held it at the Weinstein Gallery on Geary Street but otherwise undamaged, Police Chief Greg Suhr said.

Police believe Lugo was working alone and had planned to ship the artwork, which the gallery was selling for more than $200,000, to an unknown party. In the meantime, said police Lt. Ed Santos, "he was enjoying an evening with friends."

His Napa friends, whom Lugo knew from New York, were unaware of the alleged scheme and have not been arrested, police said.

Just in time

"He had it very nicely and professionally boxed up," said Rowland Weinstein, who owns the gallery where the piece was stolen and viewed it Thursday. "If the police had waited just another day, it would have been in a FedEx box somewhere."

Lugo's arrest capped a series of events that began at about 11:40 a.m. Tuesday, when a man who witnesses noticed was wearing loafers but no socks walked into the gallery at 383 Geary St., lifted the pencil drawing from the wall and walked out.

The gallery had no security camera, but Lefty O'Doul's restaurant down the street did. Its footage showed a man in a dark jacket, light-colored slacks, loafers and no socks walking west on Geary with a framed artwork under his left arm, partly obscured by a newspaper. On Thursday, police said the man was Lugo.

How suspect got away

Police said Lugo got away by hopping into a cab that took him to the Hotel Palomar near Fourth and Market streets in San Francisco, where he had been staying. Investigators found the cabbie, and from there tracked Lugo to the hotel and to Napa, although they would not say how they followed the trail.

Police said Lugo had not talked to them and that they did not know what his alleged plans for the Picasso drawing ultimately were. Weinstein said he did not know the theft suspect.

Lugo does not appear to have a criminal history besides a minor alcohol-related arrest, authorities said. He flew into San Francisco on the Fourth of July, they said, and checked into the high-end Palomar.

Lugo is no stranger to such surroundings. He has worked as a wine steward at BLT Fish, an upscale seafood restaurant in New York City's Flatiron District. Before that, he worked for a year as a dining room expediter and kitchen server at Per Se, the East Coast version of Thomas Keller's Napa Valley restaurant, the French Laundry, a spokesman there said.

A manager at BLT Fish confirmed Lugo's employment, but declined to say how long he had worked there or whether he was still at the restaurant.

"We can assume he has good taste, and how he was going to finance that good taste, perhaps, was based upon his success in obtaining a valuable piece of art," said Capt. Stephen Tacchini, commander of Central Station, whose officers tracked Lugo down. "Now, his accommodations are certainly not on par with the Palomar."

$5 million bail

Lugo was booked on suspicion of burglary, theft, possession of stolen property and drug possession. Police said they were analyzing the substance to determine exactly what type of drug it was.

Lugo's bail was set at $5 million. He declined a request for a jailhouse interview.

Weinstein said it was "just a fluke" that the thief had been able to make off with the drawing.

The gallery hangs its artwork using two hooks, one on the bottom and one on top of the frame, so that if someone tries to pull a piece down, the top hook tugs back. However, the top hook that held the Picasso sketch was loose, and it came out when the thief yanked the drawing from the wall, Weinstein said.

Weinstein says he tries to make his gallery accessible to the public, envisioning it as a kind of free museum on the corner of Union Square. Now, he's planning to install surveillance cameras, have more employees on the floor and change the way the art is hung.

Tearful reunion

Weinstein said his reaction to the recovery of the Picasso piece was one of "tears. Just tears."

The district attorney's office will keep the sketch as evidence for a week or so, but when he gets it back, Weinstein said he may not put it up for sale.

"I might keep it in the gallery, though much more safely in the gallery, and well-protected," he said. "It feels like a piece of the community now."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/08/MNC41K7JHQ.DTL

E-mail the writers at vho@sfchronicle.com, plucchesi@sfchronicle.com and hlee@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

grrrrrr

2011-06-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

So much for sleeping in with a whiny cat in the house. It has now become my dream to sleep until noon someday.

~Venus

Art-Star.net

Charlie Sheen Portrait #2

2011-06-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

CHARLIE SHEEN

18 x 24

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

This is Charlie Sheen Painting #2. The Charlie Sheen paintings came about by commission. As it turns out, someone I personally know is friends with him and asked me to paint his portrait as a gift for Charlie Sheen. I decided to paint 3 and let him choose which ones he would like to send to him.

I painted this one from one of his more recent photographs and decided to paint a simple black, white and grey pop art painting. I'm really happy with how it turned out and how the eyes are so distinctly "Charlie".

I painted this on video which will also be sent to Charlie Sheen so he can see how his painting was created!

CHARLIE SHEENLIVE POP ART SPEED PAINTING VIDEO View Other Pop Art Paintings by Me on My Websitehttp://www.art-star.net/

PARAMOUR Surrealism Painting

2011-06-02T05:16:00.000-07:00

PARAMOUR

16 X 20

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

I imagined a woman in love emits a kind of light, so here we have the painting "Paramour" or Lover. But I feel that what comes with love often is pain and hardship. She stands in a desert. Rocks represent the rocky relationship. The ivory tower in the distance stands to acknowledge how blind and deceptive love can be. To me she stands before her lover with her heart on her sleeve, open, vulnerable. She says here I am. This is how you make me feel. Here is all that I am and its all for you....

PARAMOUR.

Surreal Painting. Live Speed Painting Video.

Theis painting is for sale in my Etsy Store

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75250225/paramour-original-painting-surrealism

See more of my painting videos on My Youtube Channel.

My Website http://www.art-star.net/

BREATHE Surreal Painting

2011-05-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

I didn't grow up doodling on napkins or creating art except for the occasional coloring book page just like every other kid. No one in my family knew I could draw or paint or would ever become an artist, least of all me. But I became interested in art while in college when I took an art appreciation class as an elective. When the professor began to explain how paintings held intricate meaning besides just being something pretty or interesting to look at, that's when I became fascinated with art, began studying art regularly and began collecting art. And it was the vision and meaning that artists put into their canvases that made me want to become an artist myself. I didn't want to be just an audience member looking at a work, I wanted to be a part of it, to be on the inside of the painting looking out, to have created something completely from my own imagination. That's why I became a painter.

For me, Surrealism is the most intriguing style of art, for its unique ability to be able to step completely outside of the box and be whatever it wants to be. I would say that Surrealism is not predictable by subject matter, but one knows it when one sees it. It is fantasy and curiosity, it can be meaningful and meaningless.
I enjoy attempting to figure out what the artist meant. I enjoy viewing it just as an oddity, leaving interpretation out of it completely.

My favorite Surrealist painting is by Rene Magritte, whose exquisite work fascinates me endlessly, is a piece called "Persian Letters".

To have taken two simple everyday objects and made them into such a fascinating and meaningful masterpiece blows me away. I have seen this painting in person. It is exquisitely painted by brushwork, depth and light. Then you figure in the subject matter, placement of the objects and the title of the work. Simply fascinating.

For that reason, I love creating Surreal paintings. In this new painting called "Breathe" I have painted a cloud, a half moon and a mask with a realistic face. The sky background was difficult to paint with acrylic. To merge the colors and give the sky a sense of depth took a lot of time (and frustration). As for defining or explaining this painting, I can only say that what I mean to convey is a positve inspirational message. And I feel that everything else about this painting must be left up to interpretation by the viewer. I want its meaning to be personal to the viewer. And while I am no Magritte, I hope you find it to be both intriguing and visually appealing.

BREATHE

16 x 20

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

This painting is for sale in my Etsy Shop

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74893652/breathe-original-painting-surrealism

or on My Website at

http://www.art-star.net/

"Wild One" Charlie Sheen Live Speed Painting

2011-05-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

ok. Hate me if you will. I understand some people will not like this video. They will think it is something self indulgent. And some people won't take me or the painting serously. But I'm not the type of person to care what people think. I believe everybody should do their own thing. And I honestly do these performance videos for my own fun and entertainment. Sometimes I hear a song and get an idea for a video and have a little movie of it running through my head. Its something creative I enjoy. I like painting and acting. When I do these I get to do both. And I was asked to paint this painting on video, so I decided why not make it fun?

As it turns out, someone I personally know is friends with Charlie Sheen and asked me to paint this portrait as a gift for Charlie Sheen. And I was asked to paint it on video so that the process of the painting could be sent to Charlie Sheen also. I've decided to paint 2 or 3 paintings of Charlie to choose from and this is the first one, from a picture of a young Charlie Sheen from the 80's. And I decided to choose an 80's song and theme of the video. In light of all the publicity Charlie Sheen has been getting, "Wild One" by Iggy Pop seemed like a fun and appropriate choice. The photograph I used as my model had a lot of light and dark and I thought it would be interesting to funk it up and give it an edge, give it a pop art feel using bold colors instead of what might be expected. In person, this painting with the lavender and yellow appears to glow. And I think it will be really beautiful shown under a soft spotlight. This painting actually took about 12 hours to paint. It required a lot of detail work that would have taken forever to film, so I worked out parts of it for filming. I had a lot of fun filming this, acting funny and having fun with 80's dancing like "Walk Like An Egypian" and dancing like Madonna and from the movie "The Breakfast Club". Hey, because that's what we should do whenever we can right? Live it up and have fun! :) Thanks for checking it out. :)

ELVISSSSSS

2011-01-31T09:50:00.000-08:00

I never planned on painting Elvis, but this Elvis Pop Art Painting was by commision and the person who bought it wanted me to paint it on video. I made the background a little different by creating a two-toned effect. I like the face, but if I did it again, I might paint the background a little different.

ELVIS LIVE SPEED PAINTING VIDEO

POP ART PAINTING

16 x 20

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

Watch More of my painting videos on myYyoutube Channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/artgal28

My Website http://www.art-star.net/

Take The Pledge To End Child Hunger

2010-11-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

Take the pledge. I did.
http://nokidhungry.org/

Art Charity Auction!

2010-10-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

One of my paintings will be in a charity silent auction this Saturday, October 16 at Saint Stephen United Methodist Church in Arlington, Texas at 6pm. 1800 W Randol Mill Rd.

There will also be an all day festival, community garage sale, dinner and other community activites.

Proceeds benefit the church and/or missions. This church is very involved in helping the community, especially helping the homeless shelter Mission Arlington.

Come on out for some food, fun and helping others by bidding on my painting!

The Music Of The Heart

2010-09-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

One day while driving in my car I heard the song "Every Breath You Take" by the Police. I've heard the song a million times, but on this particular day, it reminded me of my uncle who had commited suicide in 1994, and it made me want to create this painting video.

The complete process for the painting and video took about two months, mostly to locate all of the photographs used in the video. Its a very large gallery sized acrylic painting on canvas. I created the painting on video over a period of about a week, going back to the location every day at sunset to work on the painting.

This is my favorite video of all the ones I've made. Its a very personal painting. It's a painting of my Uncle who was a very talented guitarist and drummer. He was a very beautiful and special person who had a lot to offer the world. He was very close to me and my family and it was a very devastating event for my family that took years to get over. It has now been over 15 years since it happened, but it was still difficult and emotional to create this painting and to look at his photos. At times it was like I was going through it all again. But I wanted to do something very special when I painted a portrait of him, and I wanted to do something that might possibly help someone else by putting a message in the video about suicide prevention. And I want other people going through something difficult to know that life can be hard sometimes, but it always gets better. And if my uncle had been able to realize that, he would be with us now.

At the end of the video, you will see that on the last day of shooting something special happened. We could not see it happening live, but when we looked through the camera as it was recording, we could see a beautiful ray of sun shining directly onto my uncle's photo. We allowed the camera to film as long as we could to capture it. Even as the sun went down, the ray of sun stayed on my uncle's photo. This never occured on any other day.

Thank you for watching.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide and would like someone to talk to

you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at

1-800-273-TALK

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

REMEMBERING TOM

A photo montage video

with the music

"To Make You Feel My Love" by Adele

You can see more of my art on My Website at

http://www.art-star.net/

Lady Gaga Painting

2010-09-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

LADY GAGA LIVE SPEED PAINTING

POP ART PAINTING

30 x 40

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

This Lady Gaga Painting Video was a lot of fun to make.

It was painted in one sitting in an open field.

This painting has since been sold, but I have other Lady Gaga Paintings available in my Etsy Shop.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/77074888/lady-gaga-original-pop-art-portrait

Or you can Buy Prints on My Website at

http://www.art-star.net/

My Bio

2010-08-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

This is the New Bio on My New Website. Art-Star.net

All About Venus

The Granddaughter of legendary Author Sallie Ann Clarke and western character actor and musician Rusty Lee, Venus is a multi-faceted star of The Arts in her own right.

She might call herself just a simple girl from Texas but Venus is no ordinary woman. The Texas born statuesque blonde beauty was rightly named Venus by her parents who instilled a love and appreciation for The Arts. She was one of those bright stars who began taking ballet at age 4 and recruited her brothers and cousins to perform theatrical shows for her parents. As early as 8 years old she was creating poetry and art and on her way to becoming an accomplished musician and dancer, all while excelling as an honor student. At the age of 12 she won her first award for art from the Hallmark Card Company and by 15 was modeling for local department stores. As a high school student she excelled in Literature, History, French Language and won first place in a Geometry competition. She helped her school win awards for music and dance and singularly won the prestigious honor of being one of thousands to win all blue ribbons for dance at SMU's summer drill team camp not just once but two years in a row.

Venus's achievements did not stop there. In college, Venus was a dean's list student and vice-president of a political club. Her college curriculum was centered on Literature and Creative Writing and it was during this time that she began publishing her poetry in literary journals and began winning awards for poetry. Her interest in history led her to archeology and museum studies in which she participated in the archeological excavation of Nance Farm, historic plantation and former home of baseball legend Mickey Mantle. It was however an art appreciation class that changed Venus's life, and ours, forever, igniting the spark that led her to becoming an accomplished artist.

In 2003 Venus expanded her already impressive repertoire to include acting, making her a full-fledged megastar of The Arts. She began acting in Dallas area community theaters in musicals such as "Damn Yankees" and "Best Little Whorehouse In Texas". She progressed as an actress into commercials for Radio Shack and Mary Kay and a number of feature films like "Blind Corner", "Confessions" and "Rain". Venus also received recognition at this time as a model, which she considers to be yet another art form, having been recognized on websites such as AmericanModel.com and the Domino Dolls Model Promotion Team being called one of the most beautiful and sought after women in the world.

It was not until 2005, amidst acting and modeling that Venus turned to what would become her greatest passion...art. Completely self taught, she used her knowledge of Art History as her sole guide for painting, having no training as an artist whatsoever. The evolution of her art is no less than astounding. In only 5 years she has accomplished what is almost unthinkable, having created over 1000 works of art and having sold more than half of them to art collectors around the globe. As a budding artist, Venus has experimented with every style and medium imaginable from small scale miniature paintings to massive gallery sized paintings, photography, and sculpture. She takes her inspiration from her travels through life, nature, culture, emotion, and beauty in ways that create new and unique visual arts. In 2006 she participated in an all female art Exhibition in Dallas and has been perfecting her craft and selling her work both privately and via the internet. Her work has been featured in a number of blogs and art articles, as well as hundreds of features by some of the internets most popular art galleries such as Etsy, Deviant Art and others. What began as a curious whim has developed into a well-established career as an artist, one that promises to be a notably memorable one.

As if it wasn't enough to be such an accomplished renaissance woman of The Arts, friends and family as well as those in her community know her as being one of the kindest and most generous individuals they know. A true humanitarian at heart, Venus is known for being the first to lend a helping hand to friends and even to strangers in need. She has a rare appreciation for life and others that many fail to recognize or take for granted. Her sweet giving nature is acknowledged quietly and humbly though her lifelong interests in human and animal welfare have touched and impacted many lives. Today she is involved with a number of charities regularly that are very close to her heart, particularly those that aid women and children, animals and veteran and active military soldiers, to whom she donates a portion of every painting sale.

Venus is also an avid reader and book collector with scholarly interests that include American, Russian and British history, American Revolutionary and Civil War history, World War II history, politics, anthropology, and Classic Literature. She enjoys restoring antiques, learning about other cultures, gardening, traveling, fashion, decorating and cooking, is an expert genealogist, and studies art on a daily basis.

The irony that someone named after the mythical goddess of love and one of the most famous works of art in the world would become such a loving person and talented artist is touchingly prophetic. Venus is a truly rare and fascinating gem of the world. There is no one like her. Few can say they have accomplished as much as she has in an entire lifetime. As Venus's career as an artist continues to flourish with new works continually underway, her many talents as an artist and humanitarian prove to be of prolonged interest as to what she will do next and how she will impact our world. Undoubtedly, she is a megastar who possesses the means to become one of the legendary artists of our time.

NEW VIDEOS!

2010-08-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

I have 2 new videos out!

The first one is a photo montage of some of my paintings over the last six years. It includes Abstract Paintings, Collage Art, Impressionist Paintings, Pop Art Paintings, and Surrealism Paintings.

This second Youtube Video is Modeling Photo Montage of my modeling photographs.

You can see more of my photos and paintings on My Website at

http://www.art-star.net/

"Eyes On Fire" New Painting Video

2010-08-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

This is a Pop Art Painting I designed from an Angelina Jolie Photograph.

I painted it using Hot Pink, Burgandy Red and Purple paint. I used a little bit of white with the purple for the eyes but there is no black in it.

The music in the video is called "Eyes On Fire" by Blue Foundation.

EYES ON FIRE

30 X 40

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

This painting has since been sold but you can see more of my Pop Art Paintings on

My Website at http://www.art-star.net/

My Painting Videos Art On Youtube!

2010-07-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

Finally!!!.....a couple of painting videos with lots more to come.

And a new website. http://www.art-star.net/

JAMES DEAN

POP ART SPEED PAINTING VIDEO

18 X 14

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

This is a Pop Art Painting of James Dean that I painted using only one color, Black.

The song on the video is "Understanding Jane" by Icicle Works.

JULIA ROBERTS

POP ART PERFORMANCE ART VIDEO

30 x 40

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

This painting video was a lot of fun to make. I happen to have a dress like one that Julia Roberts wears in the movie "Pretty Woman" so I thought it would be fun to play a pretty woman transformed into a Van Halen rocker chic. :)

The funny thing about filming this is that my neighbor, whom I do not know, walked past my house and looked in the window as my "butler" was serving me tea. Don't know what she thought was going on, but its funny that she walked by and looked in right at that moment. What kind of nosy neighbor peeps into people's houses when they are walking by anyway! lol

My Pop Art Paintings are available for sale in my Etsy Store

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theartofvenus?ref=seller_info

or on My Website at

http://www.art-star.net/

My Paintings Found A Great Home

2010-07-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

An Art Collector's Display Of My Work

Art Collector Sarah Bowie has purchased a number of my paintings and prints and was kind enough to send me photos of the paintings on display in her home. And has given me permission to share them with you.

I think the paintings look great. Thanks so much Sarah!

Check out Sarah's cool blog here. http://sarahbowie.blogspot.com/

BIRTH OF VENUS

8 x 10

ABSTRACT EIFFEL TOWER

8 X 10

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

ABSTRACT HEART

3.5 X 3.5

ACRYLIC ON WOOD

REFUGEE

8.5 X 11

MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER

SPLENDOR

16 X 20

OIL ON CANVAS

WHEAT

OIL ON ART PAPER

BLUE VASE

AUTUMN TREES

MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER

TUSCANY

11 X 14

OIL ON CANVAS

ROSES

(top right)

ROSES

8 X 10

OIL ON CANVAS

(center left)

Words To Live By

2010-05-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

A young painter who cannot liberate himself from the influence of past generations is digging his own grave.

---Henri Matisse

Picasso Sells at Record Auction Price

2010-05-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - A 1932 Pablo Picasso painting of his mistress has sold for $106.5 million, a world record price for any work of art at auction.
"Nude, Green Leaves and Bust," which had a pre-sale estimate of between $70 million and $90 million, was sold at Christie's auction house on Tuesday evening to an unidentified telephone bidder.
There were nine minutes of bidding involving eight clients in the sale room and on the phone, Christie's said. At $88 million, two bidders remained. The final bid was $95 million, but the buyer's premium took the sale price to $106.5 million.

Conor Jordan, head of impressionist and modern art for Christie's New York, said he was "ecstatic with the results."
"Tonight's spectacular results showed the great confidence in the marketplace and the enthusiasm with which it welcomes top quality works," he said.
The striking work of Picasso's muse and mistress Marie-Therese Walter has been exhibited in the United States only once, in 1961 in Los Angeles to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Picasso's birth. The painting, which measures more than 5 feet by 4 feet, shows a reclining nude figure with an image of Picasso in the background looking over her.
The painting had belonged to the late California art patron Frances Lasker Brody, who bought it in the 1950s. It had been kept in her family since then.
Part of the sale proceeds will benefit the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, Calif., where Brody was on the board.
The previous record for a work of art at auction was $104.3 million for "Walking Man I," a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti sold on Feb. 3 at Sotheby's in London. The previous high price for a Picasso work was $104.2 million for "Boy With a Pipe (The Young Apprentice)," attained in 2004 at Sotheby's New York.
On Wednesday, another rarely seen Picasso is slated to sell at Sotheby's auction house. "Woman in a Hat, Bust" is a 1965 work inspired by Jacqueline Roque, the last love of Picasso's life. It is estimated to sell for $8 million to $12 million.
The work hung for 50 years in the Manhattan apartment of Patricia Kennedy Lawford, a sister of former President John F. Kennedy. It's being sold by her estate.

By Ula Ilnytzky
The Associated Press.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36950780/ns/today-entertainment/?gt1=43001

NEW YORK — On Tuesday night, a painting dashed off by Picasso in just one day in 1964 became the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction as it rose to $106.5 million.

It took Christopher Burge, Christie’s premier auctioneer, eight long minutes to raise the picture, dubbed “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust,” above the hitherto unattainable $100 million barrier. Mr. Burge opened the bidding by calling out $58 million and raised the stakes by $1 million increments. From $77 million, four new bidders, sitting in the room or operating over the phone, jumped into the fray. From $86 million on, the contest was confined to two telephone bidders. They fought it out until Mr. Burge brought down his hammer on a $95 million bid made under the paddle number 1709, which, with the sale charge, raised the full price to $106.48 million, to be precise.
Spectacular as it may seem, this figure was not entirely unexpected. Only moments before the auction began, Christie’s specialists were confidently quoting an estimate set at $70 million to $90 million. That estimate had not varied for weeks. This is in marked contrast with what often happens in the auction world, when excitement grows among potential buyers as the auction day approaches, leading auction houses to revise their expectations upward.
Indeed, there was a precise reason for the unwavering assurance displayed by the auction house specialists. A full “third party guarantee” had been negotiated by Christie’s that duly warned prospective bidders, as the law requires. This legal phrase means that the minimum price demanded by the owner consigning the work of art, which remains undisclosed, will be paid to the consignor whether the work sells or not. The financial commitment is made not by the auction house, but by the “third party” willing to have a flutter at the poker game that auctions have become. If the work sells above the guarantee, the difference is shared by the auction house and the third party in question according to variable proportions. These are freely negotiated before the sale and specified in the contract signed by the auction house and the third party, but they are never disclosed to the public.
This complicated arrangement alters the nature of the auction. It is no longer a free contest where the vendor takes his chances and the buyer fights off spontaneous competitors equally wanting to acquire the work.
The first 27 lots in Christie’s auction consigned from the collection of Mrs. Sidney F. Brody were all covered by a guarantee. However, with the exception of the Picasso, this was an ordinary third-party guarantee in which the auction house and the third party jointly shoulder the guarantee according to proportions contractually stipulated but not publicly released.
This did not inhibit buyers. The Brody collection was a phenomenal success. Its lots added up to $224 .17 million. The session was only into its second lot when Georges Braque’s “La Treille” set a world record for the painter at $10.16 million, far above the highest expectations.
Two lots down, the bronze figure of a cat by Alberto Giacometti, cast in 1955, exceeded an estimate that seemed very optimistic, selling for an extravagant $20.8 million. A Marino Marini bronze of a rider, “Piccolo cavaliere” followed at $2.32 million, also more than the highest estimate, and it was then that the record Picasso came up.
The wave of enthusiastic bidding had paved the way for it. The symbol informing bidders that the guarantee had been entirely financed by the third party warned them that Christie’s felt uncertain about the possible outcome at the huge level at which the Picasso was “estimated” and was unwilling to take any financial risk, should the painting not sell at the minimum level that had persuaded the consignor to let go of her property.
The fact that the Picasso did so well, exceeding by $5 million the $90 million upper end of the estimate, says everything about the irrepressible wave of enthusiasm that carried art buyers on Tuesday night. Christie’s specialists candidly admitted that they had worked very hard at vaunting the merits of their offerings to prospective buyers. These are apparently unfazed by the thought that they are effectively made to pay what the vendors want.
The problem is that the method employed artificially whips up prices. It sets the market on the same dangerous inflationary course that precipitated two decades ago an abrupt crash followed by a slump, from which it only recovered gradually after many painful years.
Several other works in Christie’s auction Tuesday were covered by full third-party guarantees, betraying the auction house management’s private jitters about their own ambitions. On the whole they worked satisfactorily.
Alberto Giacometti’s bronze “La main” cast in 1948, climbed to a staggering $25 million, nearly 50 percent more than the high estimate. Later Picasso’s “Femme au chat assise dans un fauteuil,” painted in 1964, brought $18 million, exceeding the high estimate by 10 per cent.
But there were some bad hiccups. Edvard Munch’s “Fertility” painted around 1899-1900 in a wild Symbolist style that lacks the energy of his later Expressionist phase never stood much chance of making it to the astonishing $25 million to $35 million (plus the sale charge) estimate printed in the catalogue. “Fertility” failed to sell as Mr. Burge called out in vain “$23 million.”
Christie’s enjoyed a fantastic success, raking in $335.54 million at the end of the day and thus posting the highest total since 2006. It would be a pity if auction house managers ignored the warning not to overplay their cards that the failure of the Munch and of a few other works, adding up to almost 20 percent of the lots, amounts to.

by Souren Melikian
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/arts/06iht-melik6.html?src=twt&twt=nytimesarts

Michael Jackson's Only Portrait

2010-04-08T04:47:00.001-07:00

Portrait of Michael Jackson up for auction online
April 7, 2010, 12:05 PM EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An over-the-top portrait of Michael Jackson is going up for auction online.
The eBay.com auction of the 50-by-40-inch painting by Australian artist Brett-Livingstone Strong will launch Wednesday evening, the portrait's owner said Tuesday. The colorful portrait, titled "The Book," and reportedly the only painting for which the King of Pop ever posed, depicts Jackson in a red velvet jacket, clutching a journal at his Neverland Ranch.
"I've had it an awful long time," said toy inventor Marty Abrams, who acquired the painting with partner John Gentilly in 1992 from Japanese businessman Hiromichi Saeki as payment on a debt owed to them. "With the positive response to his music and the movie about him after his death, we thought it was a good time to sell it and for the world to see it."

For over 17 years, Abrams kept the painting in storage in a New Jersey warehouse. It was briefly on display at the Dancy-Power Automotive showroom in Harlem after Jackson's death last June. The fantastical painting, which also features the fairy character Tinkerbell hovering in the background, is hanging inside Abrams' home in Kings Point, N.Y.
The painting was originally sold to Saeki for $2.1 million in 1990. Abrams said the painting was appraised by Belgo Fine Art Appraisal and Restoration at $5.3 million in 2000, but he believes it is worth more now. Abrams hopes it will fetch over $3 million in the auction, which is scheduled to end April 17. The minimum starting bid will be $2.75 million.
"Frankly, I thought instead of trying to call out to other people, let's bring the people that are really interested to us," said auction organizer Marc Samson. "The idea of doing it on eBay in an auction format seemed to make the most sense. When Marty's son, Ken, came to me with the painting, it hit me across the face. This is the way to get it out there."

http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=492060&gt1=28102

Happy Birthday Vincent

2010-03-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Of all the paintings I've seen in museums over the years, its always the Van Gogh's that have the barricades around them.

I am always moved when I see his work, not only by his incredible mind blowing skill but by the brilliancy of his colors, as if the paintings were just painted yesterday. You just can't grasp the beauty of his work in photographs or prints until you see them in person. His work has been a huge influence in my work and he holds a special place in my heart. So in honor of his birthday, I hope you will enjoy these pictures.

Vincent Letter to Theo

“ — that dead tree beside a stagnant pond covered in duckweed, in the distance a Rijnspoor depot where railway lines cross, smoke-blackened buildings — also green meadows, a cinder road and a sky in which the clouds are racing, grey with an occasional gleaming white edge, and a depth of blue where the clouds tear apart for a moment.”

Vincent Willem van Gogh

(30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890)

Traveler

2010-03-29T10:22:00.001-07:00

This is a very large gallery sized painting and took several days to complete. It has the theme of traveling. I drew the deer from a photograph I took of a deer at a wildlife preserve. I loved the pose of the deer and drew it with graphite pencil. Then I roughly painted the deer allowing the graphite to show through. I wanted to do something different and modern. I wanted this to have a rustic look with the rough and drippy rust and copper colored paint. I love how the turquoise antlers stand out and I outlined them with hot pink. I enlarged part of an old French Postcard, added the large sun and silhouette of the vintage airplane. I mean for the soft blue and green swipe of color to represent a river and grass along a river. Finally, I sealed it with a light varnish to protect the graphite.

TRAVELER.

40 X 48.

OIL, ACRYLIC AND GRAPHITE ON CANVAS

This painting is for sale in my Etsy Store

http://www.etsy.com/shop/theartofvenus

or on My Website

http://www.art-star.net/

Abstract Heart

2010-03-28T20:58:00.001-07:00

My little Abstract Heart painting has been featured on the RI handmade blog.

http://rihandmade.blogspot.com/

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

2010-03-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

New Painting.

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

12 x 18.

Surrealism

Oil on Canvas.

Private Collections Of Texas

2010-03-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to the Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth to see "The Private Collections of Texas" exhibit.

Giorgio de Chirico's "Hector and Andromache" was stunning. But as always I was intrigued and in love with Magritte's "Daily Bread".

And well worth the trip to see the Kimball's new acquisition Michelangelo's "The Torment of Saint Anthony" (1487-88), which was his first painting at age 12 and is one of only 4 known easel paintings.

Queen Of Hearts

2010-03-20T16:20:00.001-07:00

New Painting.

Self Portrait. 24 x 34. Oil on Canvas.

with my new signature.

Biggest Art Heist In History

2010-03-16T04:56:00.000-07:00

Josh Reynolds / AP

20 years later, biggest art heist still a mystery
Investigators make renewed push to find loot valued at half a billion dollars

By Steve LeBlanc

BOSTON - It remains the most tantalizing art heist mystery in the world.
In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two thieves walked into Boston's elegant Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum disguised as police officers and bound and gagged two guards using handcuffs and duct tape. For the next 81 minutes, they sauntered around the ornate galleries, removing masterworks including those by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas and Manet, cutting some of the largest pieces from their frames.
By the time they disappeared, they would be credited with the largest art theft in history, making off with upward of a half-billion dollars in loot far too hot to sell.

Now, 20 years later, investigators are making a renewed push to recover the paintings. The FBI has resubmitted DNA samples for updated testing, the museum is publicizing its $5 million, no-questions-asked reward, and the U.S. attorney's office is offering immunity.
Two billboards on Interstates 93 and 495 are also advertising the reward.
"Our priority is to get the paintings back," U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said. "If someone had information or had possession of the paintings, immunity from prosecution is negotiable."
Investigators say they've largely ruled out some of the more popular theories, from the specter of a recluse billionaire art collector to the hand of notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger.
More likely, investigators say, the two were homegrown thieves with knowledge of the museum's security system — including the absence of a "dead man's switch" that would have alerted police. They might have even underestimated the breathtaking scope of their crime.
"I picture the thieves waking up the next morning and looking in the papers and saying, 'We just pulled off the largest art theft in history,'" said Anthony Amore, the museum's security director.
Men took their timeThe theft began around 1:24 a.m. when the two white men — one in his late 20s to mid-30s, the other in his early to mid-30s — overpowered the guards, according to an FBI report.
The two took their time. A full 24 minutes passed before they were first picked up on a motion detector entering the museum's second floor Dutch room, where the most valuable paintings were seized.

Investigators believe the first nabbed was Rembrandt's iconic "Storm on the Sea of Galilee," measuring about 5-by-4 feet and dating to 1633. The frame was laid on the floor where one of the thieves neatly sliced it from its frame.

Next was "Landscape with an Obelisk" by Govaert Flinck.

Other stolen masterpieces included a second Rembrandt also cut from its frame, "A Lady and Gentleman in Black" from 1633.

The most valuable pieces was Vermeer's "The Concert," an oil painting measuring about 2 1/2-by-2 feet from 1660 — one of only 36 known works by the Dutch master and valued at more than $250 million, Amore said.

A Rembrandt self-portrait from 1629 — one of the museum's most valuable paintings — was removed from the wall, but then left untouched while one of the crooks patiently unscrewed and removed from its frame a tiny Rembrandt etching slightly larger than a postage stamp.
It was the first of many odd twists investigators have puzzled over as they mapped the route the thieves using motion detector records.
Odd pieces stolenAfter the heavier works of art were removed from the walls, the thief in charge — possibly the older of the two — might have let the younger thief take what he wanted.
Amore believes the second thief found his way to a nearby gallery, lifting smaller Degas drawings of horses while passing up more valuable works of art including one by the Italian painter Botticelli.
The thieves also tried to remove a flag of Napoleon's First Regiment from its frame before giving up and making off with a bronze finial in the shape of an eagle from atop the flag — ignoring more valuable letters with Napoleon's signature.
Then came a final puzzle.

At some point the thieves found their way to a gallery on the first floor, again passing more valuable works of arts, to seize a "Chez Tortoni," a Manet painting of a man in a top hat and a departure from the Dutch paintings — all without triggering a motion detector.

"If we ever speak to the thieves, which is secondary, I would like to say, 'Why did you take that? Why did you pass by the Raphael?'" Amore said.
On their way out, the two thieves smashed their way into the security office and snatched the only visual record of their crime — a VHS tape.
In all, 13 works disappeared.
'Missing that last chapter'FBI agent Geoffrey Kelly, who has led the investigation for eight years, said it's unlikely the thieves destroyed the art.
"If it were any other kind of commodity, I might feel pessimistic about recovery, but with art it's not uncommon to stay missing for long periods of time," he said. "It's one of the most interesting novels you could write, except it's missing that last chapter."
For those drawn to what happened that March night, the lure of the theft won't fade.

Ulrich Boser, author of "The Gardner Heist" and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said he's convinced the paintings were taken by burglars involved in Boston's organized crime rackets in the 1980s. He said the thieves might have subsequently lost possession of the works.
"For the most part, thieves steal these works because it's easy to do and they're worth a lot of money, and then they become too hot," he said. "You can't sell them on eBay. You can't bring them into an auction house."
Amore said he won't stop until the paintings again fill the empty frames still hanging in the museum's galleries.
"I don't have any doubt we are going to recover them," he said. "There's nothing we're not doing."

Flowers and Memory

2010-03-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

Me with a couple of paintings I did this last year.

Sized 48 x 48.

Available in my Etsy store.

www.theartofvenus.etsy.com

Featured Paintings

2010-02-15T10:48:00.001-08:00

More of my paintings that have been featured lately on Etsy.
You can view them in my Etsy shop here. http://www.theartofvenus.etsy.com/

Sculpture sets record for highest price paid for art

2010-02-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

Giacometti sculpture fetches record $104M

Price for ‘Walking Man I’ is highest ever paid for work of art at auction

LONDON - A life-size bronze sculpture of a man by Alberto Giacometti was sold Wednesday at a London auction for 65 million pounds ($104.3 million) — a world record for the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction, Sotheby’s auction house said.
It took just eight minutes of furious bidding for about ten bidders to reach the hammer price for “L’Homme Qui Marche I” (Walking Man I), which opened at 12 million pounds, Sotheby’s said.
The sculpture by the 20th century Swiss artist, considered an iconic Giacometti work as well as one of the most recognizable images of modern art, was sold to an anonymous bidder by telephone, the auction house said.

Sotheby’s had estimated the work would sell for between 12 to 18 million pounds.
The sale price trumped the $104.17 million paid at a 2004 New York auction for Pablo Picasso’s 1905 “Boy With a Pipe (The Young Apprentice).” That painting broke the record that Vincent van Gogh had held since 1990, and its sale was the first time that the $100 million barrier was broken.
“L’Homme Qui Marche I,” a life-size sculpture of a thin and wiry human figure standing 72 inches (183 centimeters) tall , “represents the pinnacle of Giacometti’s experimentation with the human form” and is “both a humble image of an ordinary man, and a potent symbol of humanity,” Sotheby’s said.
The work was cast in 1961, in the artist’s mature period. It is rare because it was the only cast of the walking man made during Giacometti’s lifetime that has ever come to auction, Sotheby’s said. It was bought by Dresdner Bank in the early 1980s.
The last time a Giacometti of comparable size was offered at auction was 20 years ago. That sculpture was sold for $6.82 million, a record for Giacometti works at the time.

Associated Press

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35223008/ns/entertainment-arts_books_more/?GT1=43001

Rah Rah Grammys Gaga

2010-02-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

I just love it when big shouldered broads wear art as a dress.

photo link

The Big Beauiful World Of Art

2010-02-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

Person At The Window

Salvador Dali

Recently I heard someone who is a supposed art expert say she thought Picasso was awful. In fact I think she said she "hated" it to use her exact word. All said while making a squinty prune face. That was not before she confused him with Dali, whom I got the impression that she doesn’t even actually know.
Inside I was laughing hysterically. Or else I was weeping with sadness.
I wanted to tell her to open her needle thin mind. The idea is that even if you don’t like an artist’s style, at least you can appreciate the work. Especially if you are an artist. Not her. Which I found rather shocking coming from someone who is a supposed art expert. She is someone who thinks Thomas Kinkade is God’s gift to art. And it was very obvious and rather sad to find that she is so limited in her appreciation of a huge, beautiful world of art variety.
To hear someone bash Picasso and praise Thomas Kinkade, I had to write this.
While I can definitely appreciate Thomas Kinkade’s work and achievement, at this point I have to wonder what happened to the actual “art” in his art?
When I saw Thomas Kinkade himself on some home shopping show pushing Thomas Kinkade teddy bears for like $100 I think I threw up a little. The way they were describing it you would have thought it was made of ancient Chinese silk and 24 carat gold. There was no art on the bear. I think it was holding an alphabet block and that was it. Big whoop. And how much are they?!! It made me feel icky. It makes me feel like at this point he is swindling little old ladies, making them think they are buying something valuable when they aren’t.
His work is so overproduced that here you have these little old ladies collecting like 26 of his prints, (as one caller claimed), thinking they have something of value when in fact it is my belief that at this point his work is less valuable than what people are actually paying for it.
15 or 20 years ago perhaps his prints were worth something but now…..uh uh. He is diluting his own value by overproducing his work.

Remember beanie babies? Everyone had to have one. Everyone was collecting them. They were selling for outrageous prices. Then they became so overproduced that now you can probably find them at any given garage sale. Unless you have one of the very early ones or you happen to encounter a beanie baby hoarder who is willing to stupidly pay anything for them, they aren’t worth much.
I see this happening to Thomas Kinkade’s work. Unless you buy one of his original paintings or early reproduction, you are wasting your money. When I saw a deck of Thomas Kinkade playing cards I knew it was all over. At least for collectors. Not for him obviously. He is making millions. But for self proclaimed “collectors” of Thomas Kinkade, his work is a money vacuum.
There is no “limited edition” in overproduced work. The value is in the rarity. So don’t waste your money. You would be better off investing in a beautiful ORIGINAL landscape by someone no one has ever heard of.
Thomas Kinkade paints pretty landscapes. There is no knocking that. But he’s a one trick pony. They are all houses with flowers and light. It’s the same thing over and over again just in a different composition. Yawn. There is no genius in that. I’m no artistic genius but I could reproduce one of his paintings stroke by stroke if I wanted to. Picasso and Dali on the other hand, it would take an artistic genius to reproduce one of their works.
Every painting Picasso and Dali painted were different from the previous. That is the true genius of their work. They painted many things and in many styles. If you think Picasso only painted cubist women you are sadly mistaken and I would encourage you to explore his other work. I would encourage you by saying don’t limit yourself to just one artist or one style. There is a great big world of magnificent art out there! If you like Thomas Kinkade’s style, have a look around, there are thousands of other unknown artists who paint paintings that are just as or more beautiful that cost far less than his reproductions and will possibly be worth a lot more. And if you still insist on buying Thomas Kinkade’s work, seek out the early pieces and research them thoroughly.
As for my work, that ‘art expert’ told me my work was “unique”. And the way she said it was not a compliment. She said it in a looking-down-her-nose-at-me way. But I actually take it as a huge compliment. Unique is what I was aiming for. Mission accomplished.

Here are some magnificent lesser known works by Picasso and Dali for you to enjoy.

WORKS BY PABLO PICASSO

Acrobat and Young Harlequin.

1905. Oil on canvas. Barnes Foundation, Lincoln University, Merion, PA, USA.

First Communion.

1895/96. Oil on canvas. Museo Picasso, Barcelona, Spain.

Still-Life with a Pitcher and Apples.

1919. Oil on canvas. Musée Picasso, Paris, France.

Portrait of Olga in the Armchair.

1917. Oil on canvas. Musée Picasso, Paris, France.

Science and Charity.

1897. Oil on canvas. Museo Picasso, Barcelona, Spain.

Self-Portrait in Blue Period.

1901. Oil on canvas.

The Family of Saltimbanques.

1905. Oil on canvas. The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA.

Portrait of Suzanne Bloch

1904

Portrait of Mme Olga Picasso.

1922-23. Pastel.

Group of Dancers.

Olga Kokhlova is Lying in the Foreground. 1919-20. Crayon.

The Old Guitarist
1903

Boy with Pipe or Garcon a la Pipe

1905.

$104.17 million was paid for this painting at a 2004 New York auction.

The highest selling painting on record.

SEE MORE PICASSO WORKS HERE
http://www.abcgallery.com/P/picasso/picasso.html

WORKS BY SALVADOR DALI

The Basket of Bread.

1926. Oil on panel. 31.5 x 31.5 Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.

Woman at the Window at Figueres.

1926. Oil on canvas. 21 x 21.5 cm. Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation, Figueras, Spain.

Portrait of Luis Buñuel.

1924. Oil on canvas. 70 x 60 cm. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain.

Olive Trees.

Landscape at Cadaqués. ca.1922. Private collection.

The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

1958-9. Oil on canvas. 410 x 310 cm. Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, FL,

The Lacemaker

(after Vermeer) 1954-55. Oil on canvas. 23.5 x 19.7 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Paranoiac-Astral Image.

1934. Oil on panel. 15.8 x 22.1 cm. Wadsworth Athenaeum, Hartford, CT, USA.

SEE MORE DALI WORKS HERE
http://www.abcgallery.com/D/dali/dali.html

Nude, Mona Lisa-like painting surfaces

2010-01-29T05:18:00.001-08:00

Documents suggest work at least based on similar work by da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci, in a Renaissance version of Mad Magazine, may have painted his famous Mona Lisa in a number of ways, including nude. Now, a painting has surfaced that looks much like the original, sparking debate over just how far the master took his iconic painting.
The newly revealed painting, hidden for almost a century within the wood wall of a private library, shows a portrait of a half-naked woman with clear links to the famous (and clothed) Mona Lisa.
The work, which documents suggest was at least based on never-seen similar work by da Vinci, is now on exhibit at the Museo Ideale in the Tuscan town of Vinci, where da Vinci was born in 1452.
The lady in the portrait does not exactly resemble the original Mona Lisa, but there is little doubt it has parallels with the painting hanging at the Louvre museum in Paris.
"The frontal look, the position of the hands, the spatial conception of the landscape, with columns at the sides, show a clear link with the Mona Lisa's iconographic theme," Alessandro Vezzosi, director of the museum, told Discovery News.
The naked portrait once belonged to Napoleon's uncle, Cardinal Joseph Fesch (1763-1839) and was ensconced within the wood walls of Fesch's private library for nearly a century, before trading more hands within the Napoleon family.
An art lover, the Cardinal owned an impressive collection of artworks, including da Vinci's "St. Jerome" (now in the Vatican gallery), which he discovered in pieces in the Roman shops of a second-hand dealer.
A note dating to 1845 records that the Cardinal bought "the portrait of the Mona Lisa, mistress of Francis I, by Leonardo da Vinci," from the Rospigliosis, a rich aristocratic Roman family.
After changing hands at the death of the Cardinal, the portrait was possibly bought by Napoleon III, and finally landed in the private collection of Count Giuseppe Primoli, a descendant of Luciano Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother.
The documentation from the painting's original purchase is not enough to verify the work is by da Vinci, himself. The nude portrait will now undergo scientific and artistic investigations in an attempt to date the work and determine its author. Even if it is not by da Vinci (and it likely isn't, experts say), it may be based on a lost original by the artist himself.
"I think it is very likely that Leonardo da Vinci conceived a naked Mona Lisa," leading da Vinci scholar Carlo Pedretti, director of the Armand Hammer Center for Leonardo Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles, told Discovery News.
Indeed, several other claims of unclothed Mona Lisa's have been made over the years, pointing to the theory that da Vinci might have had fun with the famous image he had created around 1503-1506.
"There are at least six nude versions which are very close to da Vinci's hand. All are attributed to the da Vinci school. The most likely scenario is that his followers got inspired by a now-lost original," Vezzosi said.
According to Vezzosi, the original naked Mona might have been part of a series of erotic portraits by da Vinci and his pupils, which were never really shown because they were considered inappropriate.
Article Link
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31320879/ns/technology_and_science-science/

My thoughts :

Interesting article. And interesting painting. While I can appreciate the work, I don't particularly like the painting. It is clearly in the mood of the Mona Lisa - style, color, background, the folded hands, the smile. But I don't believe it could have been painted by Da Vinci.
My first thought when I saw it was that she has very unflattering scraggly looking hair (maybe I need to see a larger version). Number two, it was highly unusual during the time of Da Vinci for a nude to be looking at the viewer. I think it was unusual to paint a full frontal facial portrait too. That right there pretty much automatically says that this was a private erotic painting. Like it says at the end of the article, this type of painting wasn't meant for public viewing because it was considered inappropriate and erotic. In formal portraits the head is almost always slightly turned to the side or tilted. She is uncomfortably situated on the canvas, directly in the center, her body turned to the side but her head facing forward. It is uncomfortable to look at. The breasts look too firm and unnatural and the arms look too masculine and out of proportion with the stomach. A woman with large arms would have a larger stomach.
Da Vinci was too meticulous to have painted it that way. I can appreciate the skill it took to paint it. But to me it is clear that it wasn't painted by Da Vinci.

Will DNA Prove If Da Vinci Painted Himself As Mona Lisa?

2010-01-29T05:06:00.000-08:00

By Alessandra Rizzo
updated 8:00 p.m. CT, Thurs., Jan. 28, 2010

ROME - The legend of Leonardo da Vinci is shrouded in mystery: How did he die? Are the remains buried in a French chateau really those of the Renaissance master? Was the "Mona Lisa" a self-portrait in disguise?
Italian scientists believe the key to solving those puzzles lies with the remains — and they say they are seeking permission from French authorities to dig up the body to conduct carbon and DNA testing.
If the skull is intact, the scientists can go to the heart of a question that has fascinated scholars and the public for centuries: the identity of the Mona Lisa. Re-creating a virtual and then physical reconstruction of Leonardo's face, they can compare it with the smiling face in the painting, experts involved in the project told The Associated Press.
"We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened, we could even just find grains and dust," says Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist who is participating in the project. "But if the remains are well kept, they are a biological archive that registers events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death."
The leader of the group, Silvano Vinceti, told the AP that he plans to press his case with the French officials in charge of the purported burial site at Amboise Castle early next week.
But the Italian enthusiasm may be premature.
In France, exhumation requires a long legal procedure, and precedent suggests it's likely to take even longer when it involves a person of great note such as Leonardo.
Jean-Louis Sureau, director of the medieval-era castle located in France's Loire Valley, said that once a formal request is made, a commission of experts would be set up. Any such request would then be discussed with the French Ministry of Culture, Sureau said.
Leonardo’s final yearsLeonardo moved to France at the invitation of King Francis I, who named him "first painter to the king." He spent the last three years of his life there, and died in Cloux, near the monarch's summer retreat of Amboise, in 1519 at age 67.

The purported tomb of Leonardo da Vinci is located at Saint-Hubert Chapel at Amboise Castle in western France.
The artist's original burial place, the palace church of Saint Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution. Remains that are believed to be his were eventually reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle.
The tombstone says simply, "Leonardo da Vinci." A notice at the site informs visitors they are the presumed remains of the artist, as do guidebooks.
"The Amboise tomb is a symbolic tomb; it's a big question mark," said Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his Tuscan hometown of Vinci.
Vezzosi, who is not involved in the project, said that investigating the tomb could help identify the artist's bones with certainty and solve other questions, such as the cause of his death. He said he asked to open the tomb in 2004 to study the remains, but the Amboise Castle turned him down.
As for the latest Italian proposal, Vinceti says preliminary conversations took place several years ago and he plans to follow up with a request next week to set up a meeting to explain the project in detail. This would pave the way for a formal request, he said.
Solving the Mona Lisa mysteryThe group of 100 experts involved in the project, called the National Committee for Historical and Artistic Heritage, was created in 2003 with the aim of "solving the great enigmas of the past," said Vinceti, who has written books on art and literature.
Map locates Amboise, France, the purported burial site of Leonardo Da Vinci
Arguably the world's most famous painting, the "Mona Lisa" hangs in the Louvre in Paris, where it drew some 8.5 million visitors last year. Mystery has surrounded the identity of the painting's subject for centuries, with speculation ranging from the wife of a Florentine merchant to Leonardo's own mother.
That Leonardo intended the "Mona Lisa" as a self-portrait in disguise is a possibility that has intrigued and divided scholars. Theories have abounded: Some think that Leonardo's taste for pranks and riddles might have led him to conceal his own identity behind that baffling smile; others have speculated that, given Leonardo's presumed homosexuality, the painting hid an androgynous lover.
Some have used digital analysis to superimpose Leonardo's bearded self-portrait over the "Mona Lisa" to show how the facial features perfectly aligned.
If granted access to the grave site, the Italian experts plan to use a miniature camera and ground-penetrating radar — which produces images of an underground space using radar waves— to confirm the presence of bones. The scientists would then exhume the remains and attempt to date the bones with carbon testing.
DNA tests plannedAt the heart of the proposed study is the effort to ascertain whether the remains are actually Leonardo's, including with DNA testing.
Vezzosi questions the feasibility of a DNA comparison, saying he is unaware of any direct descendants of Leonardo or of tombs that could be attributed with certainty to the artist's close relatives.
Gruppioni said DNA extracted from the bones could also eventually be compared to DNA found elsewhere. For example, Leonardo is thought to have smudged colors on the canvas with his thumb, possibly using saliva. That would suggest DNA might be found on his paintings, though Gruppioni conceded this was a long shot.
Even in the absence of DNA testing, other tests could provide useful information, including whether the bones belonged to a man or woman, and whether the person died young or old.
"We can have various levels of probability in the attribution of the bones," Gruppioni said. "To have a very high probability, DNA testing is necessary."
The experts would also look for any pathology or other evidence of the cause of death. Tuberculosis or syphilis, for example, would leave significant traces in the bone structure, said Vinceti.
In the best-case scenario — that of a well-preserved skull — the group would take a CAT scan and reconstruct the face, said Francesco Mallegni, an anthropology professor who specializes in reconstructions and has recreated the faces of famous Italians, including Dante.

Even within the committee, experts are divided over the identity of the Mona Lisa.
Vinceti believes that a tradition of considering the self-portrait to be not just a faithful imitation of one's features but a representation of one's spiritual identity may have resonated with Leonardo.
Vezzosi, the museum director, dismissed as "baseless and senseless" the idea that the "Mona Lisa" could be a self-portrait of Leonardo.
The painting is "like a mirror: Everybody starts from his own hypothesis or obsession and tries to find it there," Vezzosi said in a telephone interview.
He said most researchers believe the woman may have been either a concubine of the artist's sponsor, the Florentine nobleman Giuliano de Medici, or Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. The traditional view is that the name "Mona Lisa" comes from the silk merchant's wife, as well as its Italian name: "La Gioconda."

Article Link
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35134994/ns/technology_and_science-science/?gt1=43001

My thoughts:
It seems to me that we are all going to be broken hearted if they dig up his tomb and find its not really him in there. So why do it? It might be interesting to know how he died. But I don't understand the need to know if he painted himself as the Mona Lisa. I think it is unlikely. It's very interesting though that there is so much fascination with him and disecting of his work.

New Painting

2010-01-26T15:33:00.000-08:00

A new one I just finished.

HOME
20 x 20
Oil on Canvas
January 2010

Little Monet - Kieron Williamson

2010-01-26T06:19:00.000-08:00

He is being talked about in the same breath as Picasso, his artwork is making its way around the world including to Europe and the Far East and adults have been reduced to tears by the quality of his painting.

But nothing prepared a Norfolk gallery for the unprecedented speed at which a seven-year-old child prodigy's 16 new paintings sold this morning.

In a hectic 14 minutes, all of Kieron Williamson's paintings sold either to keen buyers at Picturecraft's gallery and exhibition centre in Holt or over the phone to distant collectors - as far away as China and Germany.

Art experts have already been discussing the investment potential of the Holt youngster's work and today's sales may support this theory.

The works, landscapes of iconic Norfolk locations such as Morston, Blakeney, Cley, Holkham and Brancaster and featuring sunsets, boats, snow scenes and churches, were all priced around the £1,000 mark and supposed to feature in a month long exhibition of mixed artists, starting at 9am.

But several have already been taken off the walls and depending on when buyers want to collect their purchases, there may be little of young Kieron's work to see once the exhibition comes to a close.

The young man's take on proceedings was straight forward: “It's absolutely excellent.”

For Adrian Hill, who owns Picturecraft with his father Michael, it was a staggering morning.

“It was over before it started. I have had fabulous sell out shows before, but never in that space of time, it was absolute bedlam.

“Kieron is now simply one of the most coveted British artists out there, he is red hot.

“I believe the last child artist in this bracket was Picasso. And Kieron is getting better and better and better, the pace at which he learns is quite amazing. He has mastered certain techniques which some artists would take years to perfect.”

The key to Kieron's success was his skill with light and dark, colour and tone, which allowed him to put so much life into the paintings, said Mr Hill, and demonstrated a “very mature hand”.

Those skills had brought some customers to tears, added Mr Hill.

And in a measure of how the youngster had kept his feet on the ground despite his success, Mr Hill added: “Kieron's first thought was 'did everyone like them?”.

For mum Michelle, arriving at Picturecraft at around 9.15am meant she had missed the full adrenaline fuelled excitement - although the resulting exhilaration will last for some time to come.

“When I arrived it was all over!

“Of course we are all absolutely thrilled. We are so pleased for Kieron, because obviously other people's opinion about the paintings matters a lot.”

Another show might be held in August, said Mrs Williamson, although that depended on how much work Kieron produced, a decision which would rest with him and no one else.

But he remained keen to paint, she added, especially now that a large chunk of his work had been sold.

Article Link

Sketches

2010-01-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

A couple of new drawings. 18 x 24, pencil.

Lady Gaga

Self Portrait

If you can get past the title, you might like this

2010-01-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

My latest obsessions are Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Chanel.
I've always admired them but being couped up in winter I've had a little more time to watch some of the old movies and read more and am more facinated than ever.
I was searching for pics of Grace Kelly and this book came up in the search. Its about the wealthy, where they go, what they do. Its about those who have a certain style and class.
It is half photos of people like Grace Kelly, John F. Kennedy Jr, Audrey Hepburn and many others. Its an easy read. I read the first half in one evening.
If you've ever wondered if the rich really play polo and eat caviar...its an interesting read and I liked it a lot.
It's available on Amazon.com

Picasso, Rousseau paintings stolen in France

2010-01-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

DRAGUIGNAN, France (AFP) – Around 30 paintings, including works by Picasso and Rousseau, valued at around a million euros (1.4 million dollars), have been stolen from a private villa in the south of France, police said Saturday.

But a Modigliani initially believed to be part of the haul has since been found, police in Toulon said.

The villa's French owner was holidaying in Sweden at the time of the break-in, which was discovered by the caretaker on Thursday afternoon.

Police said the owner had returned home to carry out an inventory of his collection to establish the exact loss.

The reported burglary in La Cadiere d'Azur comes after a pastel by Degas disappeared from the Cantini museum in Marseille on New Year's Eve. The 1877 pastel worth 800,000 euros had been lent for an exhibition by Paris' Orsay museum. Related article: Watchman questioned over stolen Degas

The painting had been unscrewed from the wall and there was no evidence of a break-in, police said, indicating the thief or thieves knew how to get round the museum's security system.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100102/ennew_afp/franceartcrime_20100102095533

Found: the clue to van Gogh’s ear

2010-01-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889 by Vincent van Gogh (1853-90)

Found: the clue to van Gogh’s ear

The mystery behind the most famous mutilation in art history may finally have been solved.

A scholar has found evidence that a distraught Vincent van Gogh slashed his ear after learning that his brother, Theo, on whom he depended financially and emotionally, was about to get married.

Martin Bailey, who has written a book on van Gogh and curated two exhibitions of his work, devised his theory after meticulous detective work on a letter in a painting that the artist completed soon after he injured himself.

Bailey concludes that this letter was written by Theo from Paris in December 1888 and contained news of his engagement. This, he believes, tipped Vincent, who was already psychologically disturbed, into self-harm.

For years disputes have raged over what really happened to van Gogh’s ear just before Christmas 1888. Some have blamed his mental illness, others have said he was driven mad by lead in his paints. The breakdown of his friendship with Paul Gauguin, his fellow artist, has also been cited, although it is claimed that Gauguin made up this story himself.

Academics at Hamburg University argued recently that Gauguin, with whom van Gogh shared a house at Arles in the south of France, cut the ear in a quarrel over a prostitute called Rachel.

This theory was dismissed by the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and by Bailey.

Van Gogh gave ample evidence of his mental instability when, 19 months after the ear was cut, he shot himself in the chest and died from his wounds two days later.

Bailey assembled his evidence partly from close study of van Gogh’s Still Life: Drawing Board with Onions. The work was completed at the beginning of 1889, just a month after his injury. It will be the star painting at a new exhibition opening in January at the Royal Academy around the theme of van Gogh and his letters.

It includes an envelope on a table. Bailey examined it microscopically and found the number 67 inside a circle. This was the official mark of a post office in Place des Abbesses, close to the apartment in Montmartre occupied by Theo, an art dealer who regularly provided money for Vincent.

The envelope has a special frank mark that says “New Year’s Day”. The Paris postal museum confirmed that in the second half of the 19th century such a mark was put on envelopes from mid-December onwards.

Bailey believes van Gogh deliberately put the envelope in the painting because of its deep significance.

Vincent usually received his allowance from Theo on or about the 23rd of each month, although sometimes he received two a month. It is known from a letter he wrote to Theo at the end of January 1889 that he had received what he called “the much-needed money” on December 23.

Bailey argues that the letter in the painting contained the news from Theo that he had proposed to his girlfriend, Johanna Bonger. The letter, dated December 21, is from Theo to his mother seeking permission to marry. “Vincent would surely have been next to be told,” said Bailey.

Another letter, from Theo to his fiancée, mentions his brief visit to Vincent on Christmas Day after he had taken the train from Paris on hearing of the mutilation.

Theo wrote: “When I mentioned you to him he evidently knew who and what I meant and, when I asked whether he approved of our plans, he said marriage ought not to be regarded as the main object in life.”

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article6968527.ece

Van Gogh

2009-12-21T06:35:00.000-08:00

Van Gogh drawing of the Venus de Milo I ran across.

I would be interested in anyone's thoughts about this drawing.

Amen Harold Estes

2009-12-04T00:33:00.001-08:00

Harold Estes is right on.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp

New da Vinci Painting Discovered

2009-10-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Art Experts Find Possible New da Vinci Painting

TORONTO — Art experts believe they have identified a new Leonardo da Vinci — in part by examining a fingerprint on the canvas.

Peter Paul Biro, a Montreal-based forensic art expert, said Tuesday that a fingerprint on what was presumed to be a 19th-century German painting of a young woman has convinced art experts that it's actually a Leonardo.

Canadian-born art collector Peter Silverman bought "Profile of the Bella Principessa" at the Ganz gallery in New York on behalf of an anonymous Swiss collector in 2007 for about $19,000. New York art dealer Kate Ganz had owned it for about 11 years after buying it at auction for a similar price.

One London art dealer now says it could be worth more than $150 million.

If experts are correct, it will be the first major work by Leonardo to be identified in 100 years.

Biro said the print of an index or middle finger was found on the painting and that it matched a fingerprint from da Leonardo's "St. Jerome" in the Vatican. Biro examined multispectral images of the painting taken by the Luminere Technology laboratory in Paris. The lab used a special digital scanner to show successive layers of the work.

"Leonardo used his hands liberally and frequently as part of his painting technique. His fingerprints are found on many of his works," Biro said. "I was able to make use of multispectral images to make a little smudge a very readable fingerprint."

Technical, stylistic and material composition evidence also point to it being a Leonardo. Biro said there's strong consensus among art experts that it is a Leonardo painting.

"I would say it is priceless. There aren't that many Leonardos in existence," Biro said. He said he had heard that one London dealer felt it could be worth more than $150 million.

Silverman said his Swiss friend saw it first and told him it didn't look like a 19th century painting. When Silverman took a look at the painting at the Ganz gallery in 2007, he thought it might be a Leonardo, although that seemed far-fetched. He hurriedly bought the painting for his Swiss friend and then started researching it.

"Of course you say, 'Come on, that's ridiculous. There's no such thing as a da Vinci floating around,"' Silverman said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I started looking in the areas around da Vinci and all the people who could have possibly done it and through elimination I came back to da Vinci."

Last year, Silverman bumped into Nicholas Turner, a former curator of drawings at the J. Paul Getty Museum and the British Museum. Turner said it was a Leonardo and other leading art experts have backed it up as well.

Silverman said thanks to the fingerprint image at the Luminere Technology laboratory it was confirmed.

"That was icing on the cake," he said.

Silverman describes the Swiss private collector as a very rich man who has promised to buy him "lunch and dinner and caviar for the rest of my life if it ever does get sold."

Article with photo and video

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cn_canada_da_vinci_discovery

Article
http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmZveG5ld3MuY29tL3N0b3J5LzAsMjkzMyw1NjU4NDAsMDAuaHRtbD90ZXN0PWxhdGVzdG5ld3M=

Irving Penn

2009-10-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Whoever said photography is not art never saw the work of Irving Penn.

His death on Oct. 7, 2009 is a great loss to the art community.

Pablo Picasso

Woody Allen

Artist Denny Dent

2009-10-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite contemporary artists, Denny Dent.

An Affection For Vintage Style

2009-10-01T02:53:00.000-07:00

Maybe its because my mother is a lover of all things Victorian, or maybe just because everyone keeps bringing back these lovely things in a fresh new way, but I love vintage. If its girly and feminine, I love it. But I like trends too so it has to feel new and fresh. Here are some of my favorite things this fall.

"She's So Lovely" Victorian Rosebud Hairpin by The Art of Venus

Opulant Satin Dress by Gaudy Couture

Vintage Sears Faux Pink Pearl Clip Earrings by The Art Of Venus

Vintage Style Art Blocks by The Art Of Venus

"Shine" Chandelier Tote Bag by The Art Of Venus

Vintage Artisan charm Bracelet by Katherine Cooper

Yellow Roses Impressionist Painting by The Art of Venus

Flower Choker by Whataboutblack

Pink Garden Rose Shea Butter Soap by Sweet Petula

Flowery Flower Paintings

2009-09-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

Some of my latest painting designs on Cafepress Products.

In my Paintings Department

Garden Flowers Still Life Oil Painting
Mousepad ---- Flip Mino HD Video -----Poster Print ------Reusable Water Bottle

Impressionist Roses

Still Life Oil Painting

Matching Cup and Coaster

Small Poster Print -----Framed Panel Print -----Journal

Impressionist Still Life Flowers Oil Painting

Small Poster Print -----Framed Panel Print -----Greeting Card

Art Blocks

2009-09-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

My Art Blocks have been some of my biggest sellers!

They are completely hand made of wood planks, paper ephemera and acrylic paint. I've designed them so you can mix and match them to suit your own color scheme and style to create a one of kind original work of art.

They are available in My Etsy Shop.

You can find them in My Art Blocks Department

Here are some photos of some sets I have put together and that my customers have designed themselves.

I'm Featured!

2009-09-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

My painting "The Birth Of Venus" has been featured on Etsy's Gift Guide of Luxury items.

http://www.theartofvenus.etsy.com/