Painting a Pop Art Icon…Andy Warhol

I love getting commissions. This one had me excited. It’s not everyday you you get challenged to paint one of the most-renowned American pop artists of our time… Andy Warhol. While the client wanted him in black, I also realized this piece needed color.

Warhol, who was born in Pittsburgh on August 6 1928, began his career working as a successful commercial illustrator, and then he grew in popularity after having his work exhibited in several New York galleries in the late 50s.

He became most recognized for exploring the relationship between artistic expression, advertising and celebrity culture. His works span a variety of media, including painting, silk screening, photography, film, and sculpture. Some of his best known works include the silkscreen paintings Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) and Marilyn Monroe, (1962) which was completed just week’s after her death. These two iconic prints, along with flowers on the back legs, became the color this chair needed.

I’m happy to report, my client loved the chair, and I have to admit I think it turned out great. I’d like to think Warhol, who died in 1987, would approve as well.

 

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Honored Guests Are Coming To Dinner

I was recently contacted by a retired journalist from Ohio who had a desire to have a dining room table occupied by four noteworthy African American women. I welcomed this challenge and was honored to complete it. If only these guests could talk…what a story they would have to tell.

The chairs included:

Sojourner Truth, who was an American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son in 1828, she became the first black woman to win such a case against a white man.

Harriet Tubman, who was an American abolitionist and political activist. Born into salvery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. During the American Civil War, she served as an armed  scout and spy for the Union Army. In her later years, Tubman was an activist in the movement for women’s suffrage.

Rosa Parks, who on December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, rejected bus driver James Blake’s order to vacate a row of four seats in the “colored” section in favor of a white passenger, once the “white” section was filled. Because of her actions, she became symbol of the civil right movement.

Maya Angelou, who was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She is probably best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I know Why the Caged Bird Sings, tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim

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Peter Gabriel

This has become one of my favorite requests to date, Peter Gabriel in his “bat costume”, created as a gift to an ardent fan and musician. In working with the client, we decided this was Gabriel’s most iconic image. Here is a little background.

On February 9, 1973, Genesis played at the Rainbow Theater in London, ENG. Unbeknownst to the rest of the band, Peter brought along a trunk of costumes to wear. This costume was worn during “Watcher of the Skies”, the first song of the evening. During this time, Gabriel understand that simply playing music was not enough, standing out to garner attention was also becoming a necessity. This concert became a turning point in the band’s career.

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Our Two Year Neighbor Became a Big Sister

…and to help her celebrate, I created a table and chair set for the two girls to play on (in time). Her favorite place is the zoo, so it was only fitting the this set feature images of her favorite animals. These have everything from a zebra, flamingos, and lion to an elephant as the table. There are also animals on the backside as well. In return, I received a wonderful “thank you” that adorns our refrigerator.

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How I’m Spending My Shelter In Place Time

Like the rest of the world, COVID-19 has me and my family sheltering in place for a while. For a change of pace, I decided to take this time to step away from chairs and work on some flat canvases for a while.

I just completed the painting above of an old rusty truck we saw along the roadside on a summer family vacation out to Zion and Bryce National Parks. When I saw the truck it just spoke to me. It really spoke to me knowing its day it was probably a vital piece of equipment for some nearby rancher and seeing it in its current worn out but still beautiful in some unique way.

I guess you can say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you never know where you might find it.

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Botero Special Commission

Botero

Fernando Botero is a renowned Colombian painter and sculptor know for his volumetric stylization of figures and objects. While his work includes still-lifes and landscapes, he really concentrated on situational portraiture, and all of his paintings and sculptures are united by their proportionally exaggerated, or “fat” figures, as he once referred to them.

I was recently commissioned to pay tribute to one of Botero’s painting and I thoroughly enjoyed trying to imitate this unique style of painting. The vibrant colors and mink wrapped around the voluminous women’s neck add to the interest of this piece.

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A Magical Special Request – Dumbledore from Harry Potter

If you ask our 20-year-old son what book series had the biggest impact on his life growing up, beyond a doubt, it would be Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling. The first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came out just two years before he was born and by the time he was six he was reading it. When he finished the final book in the series, The Deathly Hallows, he went through a period of mourning for several days until we could find him a new book to dive into. For years, he lived and breathed Harry Potter. In fact, he knew the series and movies so well, none of us would play Harry Potter Scene It with him, as he would win before anyone else had been given a turn.

So you can only imagine how much our house, and particular my son, was filled with excitement when I accepted a special commission to create the well-know wizard Dumbledore from Harry Potter.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Harry Potter series, Dumbledore, served as the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and in that role was an extremely influential mentor to orphan Harry.

He is distinctly recognizable with his long beard, beautiful gowns and wrinkled face. The pressure was definitely on me to nail this one as my family watched in anticipation for Dumbledore to come to life.

I am extremely proud of the outcome of this chair (see the 2 pics below) because my son says, “I nailed it.” And, in this case, his opinion means the world to me. In fact, I have a feeling I just might be making another chair like this for him when he graduates from college.

Dumbledore
Dumbledore special commission
Dumbledore in his new home.
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Cheers to This Bar Stool Special Request

I recently had a potential customer reach out to me telling me that he loved my chairs and asking me if I would paint him some special bar stools. I said sure and asked him to send me the chairs. When they arrived I was shocked at how large and heavy they were. They were so unlike anything I had ever painted on before that I really had to think creatively to figure out what I could do with them. I knew because of the chairs design I couldn’t modify the backs of them so I decided to just go with painting an abstract design on the chairs paying tribute to the famous artist Miro.

I’m happy to report the customer loves them and I’m glad I was thrown another challenge that made someone’s day. I hope he gets to relax and enjoy many cocktails on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Looking to Host a Painting Party? Let’s Talk!

I had a pretty rough childhood. I grew up in poverty with a very difficult dad. So I often found myself trying to escape from the stress of daily life by pulling out my paints and painting my little army figurines with toothpicks. Fast forward to my young adult years, and as I was trying to figure out life, I again found myself returning to art.

Art always has been my stress buster and emotional release, and now as an adult I love to help other individuals see how fun and therapeutic it can be. Not only can you feel yourself calm down and release while doing art, it nurtures emotional growth, helps with memory, problem solving and motor skills. Plus, art is really good at fostering a positive attitude.

Now combine the process of art with let’s say 15-30 of your closest friends, while listening to some really good music along with a glass of wine and well, it’s more than fun, relaxing and therapeutic…it’s a party.

I recently hosted a painting party for 40 people, ages 15-60+, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It was a great time. For this particular party we decided to create portraits imitating the famous artist Modigliani on 16″ x 20″ canvases. We chose this project because Modigliani’s portraits focus on clean lines that anyone can be taught to emulate.  The results of the night were fantastic (see below), and the smiles on everyone’s faces along with laughter that rang out from the event was priceless.

If you are interested in hosting a private painting party at your home or place of business reach out to me at thfendos@yahoo.com. I’d love to help you have some fun and create a lasting work of art for your home.  Each class will start with a brief overview and bio of the artist.  Party themes can include:

Self-Portraits-Modigliani style
Sunflowers – Van Gogh style
Starry Milwaukee Night – Van Gogh style of Milwaukee’s skyline
Flowers- Georgia O’Keefe
Monet’s water lilies
Picasso’s faces
Kandinky’s circles
Keith Haring designs
Psychodelic insects

We can work together to come up with an idea that is sure to leave your guests smiling and feeling a lot more relaxed and creative when they leave.

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg #RBG Chair Makes Great Grad Gift

What do you get for the most politically savy, independent thinking, strong young adults you know who is graduating? Why isn’t it obvious? A custom, handpainted chair of Ruth Bader Ginsburg –  none other than the Notorious #RGB – complete with her dissent collar and green earrings.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993. She is the second female justice (after Sandra Day O’Connor) of four to be confirmed to the court (along with Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who are still serving alongside #RBG ).

#RGB , who is generally accepted as being more on the liberal side of the courts, has become recognized through the years for her forceful dissents. She has authored notable majority opinions, including United States v. VirginiaOlmstead v. L.C., and Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc.

#RBG was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her older sister died when she was a baby, and her mother, one of her biggest sources of encouragement, died shortly before #RBG graduated from high school. She then earned her bachelor’s degree at Cornell University, and became a wife and mother before starting law school at Harvard, where she was one of the few women in her class. #RBG transferred to Columbia Law School, where she graduated tied for first in her class. Following law school, #RBG turned to academia. She was a professor at Rutgers Law School and Columbia Law School, teaching civil procedure as one of the few women in her field.

#RBG spent a considerable part of her legal career as an advocate for the advancement of gender equality and women’s rights, winning multiple victories arguing before the Supreme Court. She advocated as a volunteer lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union and was a member of its board of directors and one of its general counsels in the 1970s. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where she served until her appointment to the Supreme Court.

#RBG has received attention in American popular culture; most recently with the 2018 documentary RGB and more recently the movie On the Basis of Sex starring Felicity Jones

 

 

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