brooklyn
Check out this rad time-lapse video of yours truly captured by longtime (7+years) Walter Foods regular Kirk Balden. A tremendous thank you to him for literally spending hours filming this. He time-lapsed my process of hand lettering & water gilding 23k gold at the Williamsburg BK restaurant, Walter Foods. The Mercow looks fabulous!
Photographer Randy Ryandi recently shot my portrait for his artists series. Using a Hasselblad & real black and white film, he graced my Bed-stuy studio with his presence. He's a delight. Thank you Randy, it was a pleasure.
See more of his work on his website http://randyryandi.com/. He's not on Instagram - its too mainstream ;)
"South African" 2016, 11x15" watercolor on Fabriano
Friends & Family,
Mark Beukes, aka the South African, was diagnosed with MDS, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and will need a Bone Marrow Transplant. Yes, this is very serious; but it can be cured with a successful bone marrow transplant and a lot of will power. A bone marrow transplant is expensive and has a long recovery period (usually a full year) which is why a fund has been created to raise money and support to help cover some of his medical treatment and living expenses. Click to learn more & contribute to the fund.
THIS Thursday, July 28th, Picture Farm Gallery will be hosting an art auction to benefit Mark Beukes. There will be an amazing array of art on offer, over 30 local and international artists. Preview & bid on art before Thursday.
My contribution was a custom map of South Africa, which is where Mark is from, also why we call him the “South African”. I teamed up with Mark Firth to come up with some significant spots and memories. They hung out in the Northern suburbs in Sandton and Rosebank, near Johannesburg, but made regular forays into Hillbrow for the night clubs. Mark and Mark would meet at 2 am at the Hard Rock Cafe after their shifts. South African, as we all call him, attended Wits University, or University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Those years were spent working, smoking pot, and drinking Castle Lager to the album, Cold Fact, by Rodriguez. One can only imagine the kind of mischief those two must have gotten into back in the day! Ihope that this map celebrates that moment in time, and the South African, before we even met him. To this day I can’t hear Rodriguez, and not be magically transported back to my Diner days in 2001, and the South African leaning on the bar.
My friend Joelle Hann asked me to paint a very special commission. It was a thank you map for Westjet Airlines. They flew her for 16 months unlimited from New York City to Canada. So that she could be with her brother and his family while he underwent chemo. It would also commemorate that special window of time they shared.
“Yesterday Bill, my brother, would have turned 40. This morning I landed in Vancouver to spend a week with his wife, and kids Sammie, 7, and Alex, 8.
This time I bring with me my "thank you" gift for WestJet, the company Bill flew for, who very generously--incredibly, really--flew me from New York to Victoria as often as I needed while Bill was sick. That's 16 months of flights. They never said no. In fact, they said there is no limit.
They are directly responsible for all the extra time I got with Bill. Because of them I got to know Bill again as an adult. I got to know his wife and kids. West Jet was key in bringing my brother and me together again before he passed. It is a gift I can't repay.
But, I offer this token: an original watercolor painting by the talented Brooklyn artist Abbie Zuidema. A map showing the flight routes I took for those 16 months, one of Bill's favorite quotes, a note of thanks, and the things we loved in both places: the Olympic mountains in the west, the Williamsburg bridge in the east. To WestJet, thank you. (And thank you, Abbie J. Zuidema for the love you put into this project.) I've brought the painting to show my family, and then it's going on to WestJet offices in Calgary.”
-Joelle Hann
This map chronicled a life journey. We all must face seemingly impossible challenges in our lives, and the passing of a loved one is something we all must experience. This map was a testament to the grace of leaning into the challenges that life gives us. It’s about survival and abundance, even in the darkest moments. As I was making this commission, I too was struggling with a loss I didn’t think I could bear. It was incredible to take part in documenting something so affirming. Thank you Joelle for asking me to be a part of this.
A.
Yehaw! Happy September! New prints are up at Bibber & Bell Wine and Spirit! What a treat to be able to hang more work! A big thank you to Damien & Robyn for extending my artistic stay.
Art should be accessible to everyone, to be lived with & shared. With that philosophy in mind, I have made some of my favorite watercolor paintings into prints. Pieces from my collections of watercolor Maps, and Knickers & things, are available framed or individual. Unframed prints are $35 & framed prints are $70, priced for those of us with budget in mind.
If you haven’t had the chance to check out the Bibber & Bell you should. Stop in & say hello. Peruse their fabulous wine selection. There are some delicious things to be sipped & had.
P.s. All the wine labels denoting region are made by yours truly.
P.p.s. Prints are available in my Etsy shop-just added New Mexico to the mix!
I am thrilled to announce a Summer Studio Sale!
The archives are getting sorted and paintings & drawings will be available at 20-30% off. Bibber & Bell is graciously hosting my opening-there will be delicious wine to taste & 10 years worth of art.
Original maps, knickers & things, wine paintings, drawings, rainbows, mehndi, watercolor fragments, food paintings, silverware and more . . . .
Bibber & Bell
418 Union Ave
btwn Devoe & Ainslie St.
718-599-2000
Located on the North Side of Williamsburg, Bibber & Bell Wine and Spirits was recently established by two of my very favorite people, Robyn Semien & Damien Graef. The shop is lovely, an oasis from the city, stocked with wines that delight any palate. Just pop out of the Lorimer stop of the L Train in Williamsburg & say hello.
Drink wine & buy art!
All the proceeds of the sales go towards Freelancers Union Health Insurance-with enough sales I qualify! Yehaw!
Recently I was interviewed for the Wild. How cool. Fashion & Art! I wracked my brain for answers to questions like, "Who would you like to go on a tete a tete?" & "What is on your life to do list?" Some of my answers surprised me. It's not a bad practice for all of us to do every once and a while. I highly recommend it.
Oh, & the answer to: "What is my Wild wish?"
not to be a starving artist.
Introducing, Brooklyn, the newest addition to the map series! I made two versions of this map. I can never decide which one I like best, so I always manage to make two. Brooklyn was a tough one. There are so many great things that make up this place that I live in-that we live in. It was impossible to list all them all. Instead, I focused on what makes Brooklyn, Brooklyn to me right now. I'm sure there are things that I overlooked, I might just have to make another rendition.....
Pick your favorite. I personally love Mr. Pickle, but that's just me. It could be the top hat.
Click on the thumbnail to see a larger version.
