Wedding at Seasons, Washington Twp, NJ

I had the distinct pleasure of painting a beautiful wedding at Season's, an upscale catering facility in Washington Township, New Jersey. The bride specifically wanted me to capture the dramatic windows, floral centerpieces, styling of the chairs, and of course-- their first dance!






The beautiful drapery was on the opposite side of the room from me, but was reflective of the grandeur and I knew would it make the best background for their painting, and really capture the essence of the ballroom.





I began with my underpainting "sketch" to layout the composition. People always ask me if I start with a pencil. No, but I "draw" with paint.





I loved the gesture of the bride holding her train, as her groom twirled her on the dancefloor.

The first dance quickly became the "family & wedding party" dance in one fell swoop. With the important people surrounding them, it seemed fitting to include them, although it was not requested.

There was also a magnificant waterfall along the entire length of the ballroom, in front of which I had seen pictures taken of the wedding party. I felt this would be a nice, subtle feature in the painting. That's what you see out the window of this cropped detail of the painting. The bride and groom loved it, and I really enjoyed creating this painting!

For more information about Seasons Catering :

Seasons Catering

Crystal Point Yacht Club

I had the pleasure of painting at Crystal Point Yacht Club in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. It overlooked the boats and water and the wedding decorations had a seashore theme. The bride wanted me to especially capture the sweeping view out the windows.

The cake was decorated with seahorses and shells made of icing. You can see the view of the harbor behind the cake.

They even had a lobster trap on the gift table, complete with bride & groom lobsters!

Here is the couple during their wedding dance.

Here is a cropped detail of the painting.

This is what the bride had to say,"Just want to thank you again. The painting is beautiful...whenever I look at it I'm instantly brought back to the reception. I enjoyed my wedding day very much and having your painting here helps me vividly replay the memories of the greatest day of my life.."

For more information on this beautiful location:

Crystal Point Yacht Club

Backyard Wedding in Anaheim

I recently did a live event painting at a wedding reception held in a lovely backyard in Anaheim, California.

I was commissioned by this family (that's my sister on the far right, two of her sisters-in-law, her husband in the middle, and her two daughters on the far left). The painting was a surprise gift for the bride and the groom, who is my sister's nephew.

You can see them pictured in the painting, along with other people who are important to the bride and groom.

Here is the beautiful couple during their wedding dance.

This detail shows the couple surrounded by the wedding party, family and friends.

And here I am with the happy groom-- the recipiant of the surprise gift. This was a family home. The groom grew up playing in the yard and was very happy I included key details (the fountain, the big tree, the butterfly, etc.). I don't plan these things, I just let go and trust my instincts. Of course, I'm always happy to have people point things out to me, too!

Grand Prix Poster Idea

I was approached by a member of The Grand Prix organization to submit an idea for this year's Grand Prix poster. They usually use an artist who does lots of racing paintings. I figured, why not? I'll give it a try. This year is the Grand Prix's 35th Anniversary. There is no pay for the project, but instead a booth is offered at the Grand Prix exhibit hall, and of course-- really great exposure.

I submitted two rough sketches; acrylic paintings on black presentation board. I've always wanted to paint on a black surface and this seemed fitting for the subject matter.

Unfortunately, another artist was chosen to create this year's poster, but I had fun with this design!

Point Loma Wedding in San Diego

Last weekend I traveled down to San Diego to Point Loma at the Cabrillo National Monument http://www.nps.gov/archive/cabr/lighthouse.html to paint a wedding ceremony taking place on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.



This was the spot as it looked when I arrived an hour and a half before the start of the ceremony. Literally-- a cliff overlooking the ocean, 400 feet below.



Here is the historic lighthouse, which the groom asked me to render with a glow coming from the light, representing their love for one another.




A crowd of several dozen gathered around to witness the exchange of vows.

It was a lovely ceremony in its casual simplicity, decorated with sunflowers-- my favorite!

The reception was held at a private residence, where I finished the painting. With the paint still wet and the flash of my camera, I wasn't able to capture the painting without a glare, but you can get the idea. The bride and groom were very happy with it, which made me very happy!

Pet Portraits

Here are the latest pet portraits I have painted, both were Christmas gifts. Cody, the Samoyed was my Aunt Jeanie's beloved pet, and purple is her favorite color.



And this is Abby, a Rough Coat Jack Russell Terrier puppy, belonging to my son and his girlfriend.

The recipients were absolutely thrilled with their paintings. People just love to see their pets immortalized in a portrait!

Joyeux Noel!

This oil painting I started last year as a study of Michelangelo's Pieta sculpture. I decided to finish it for a family gift exchange and use the image for my digital Christmas card.

This year, instead of a store-bought gift, Aunt Jeanie suggested we each make something. We do the crazy exchange where we all draw numbers and choose a gift accordingly. Each subsequent person can choose a new gift or "steal" someone's.

I originally painted this with my sister, Lisa in mind-- and after several steals she ended up with it!

And may you have a creative, prosperous and happy New Year!