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Gus


 
 

"Gus," a commissioned portrait of a bull dog, 8" x 10," done in acrylics on a museum quality panel, private collection (THANK YOU!). Inquiries may come to me.

 
You gotta love a man who gifts his bride a pet portrait. Talk about starting things off proper!

 
If you know this man, or this bride, or this dog, please keep this a secret - Gus's portrait will be waiting for them to return from their honeymoon.

 
And you know, I can do this sort of thing for you, too. But I can't read your mind - you've gotta first send me an email.

 
Thanks, as always, for supporting and following along with my artwork!

Kim 
 
 
 
P S End of school year: 3.5 days and counting. Start of vacation: 3.51 days and counting.
 



"Untitled," 1981, photo courtesy of Christies
 
Jean-Michel Basquiat
 

How I wish I were in NYC this week, so as to get a peek at Basquiat's "Untitled" (pictured above) before it travels to London for auction at Christies. Whether or not you like the piece (it's predicted to break Basquiat's previous auction record, with an estimate of $20million), there's no denying it's importance, and Basquiat's influence, in defining contemporary art history.

 
My favorite job in "The Real World" happened to me fresh out of college, working at a fine art auction house. You never knew what would come in the door on any given day - a genuine Tiffany floor lamp, a two-sided Picasso drawing, a Dale Chihuly bowl, a Grandma Moses painting.

 
I learned to ask questions and listen to more than the answers given, consult experts, and open my mind up to the glory of the artists' vision. Whether or not I would choose to live with it, whether or not I was able to afford it, whether or not I could even connect with the work, each piece carried it's own redeeming qualities.

 
And what I wouldn't give to be a Christies employee today, taking my breaks in front of a contemporary masterpiece and soaking up a little Basquiat-ian influence.
 
I would love to hear your thoughts on which artists inspire you and why. Please leave a comment!
 
 

Comments

  1. Votre gus paraît au premier abord féroce alors que cela doit être un tendre toutou... J'aime vos multiples nuances de couleurs.
    gros bisous et réjouissez-vous lors de votre visite à l'exposition de Basquiat.

    ReplyDelete

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