James and Tommy, co-owners of Enlightened Brewery Company, have been creating tasty beer for Milwaukeans for some time. They recently celebrated their tenth anniversary. James was a former student of mine, and to say I’m proud would be a bit of an understatement. What better way to enjoy a beverage than to be greeted… Read more »
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Monet with Pigeons
Based on the photo from 1908, with his wife in Venice, I can’t help but smile at how humbled Monet may have felt in this moment. Arguably one of history’s most important artists, his presence seems lost on the pigeons.
Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon room divider
Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon is perhaps my favorite painting. One of the twentieth centuries’ most important paintings, it is now part of the collection of Museum of Modern Art in New York. Preceded by nearly 100 sketches, it has been stated that Picasso’s creativity was spontaneous, but carefully conceived. The five women, all prostitutes, seem… Read more »
Picasso’s Three Musicians
A little too large for a chair, Three Musicians fit perfectly on a bench. Created by Picasso in 1921, it is now part of the collection in the New York Museum of Modern Art. Although it is an oil painting, Three Musicians looks like a collage made from cut out pieces of colored paper. The… Read more »
The Scream
This has always been one of my favorite paintings, and was an honor to recreate as a chair. The Scream (Norwegian: Skrik) is a composition created by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch in 1893. The agonized face in the painting has become one of the most iconic images of art, seen as symbolizing the anxiety of… Read more »
Lady Gaga
With commissioned artwork, I am often asked to reproduce a celebrity’s iconic look. Which brings us to Lady Gaga…how do you narrow her fashion style onto just one chair…plastic bubbles, Kermit the Frog dolls, raw meat? With numerous conversations and considerations, we went with her portrayal of Elizabeth Johnson, the “Countess” from American Horror Story. Gaga won… Read more »
Tina Turner – The Queen of Rock ‘n Roll
I was recently commissioned to pay tribute to the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll, Tina Turner. Turner began her career with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm in 1957 where she was part of such great works as “River Deep – Mountain High,” “Proud Mary” and “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine.” In 1976, the band disbanded,… Read more »
2006 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Ed King
I received an exciting commission this past fall from the widow of 2006 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ed King, former guitarist and founding member of Strawberry Alarm Clock, co-writer and guitarist on the number one hit “Incense and Peppermints” and Southern Rock stalwart Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ed, who passed away in 2018, helped… Read more »
Billy Joel – The Piano Man
Billy Joel was commissioned along with Freddy Mercury as a set for a music suite. While having near complete freedom for both pieces, this one needed to have the lyrics to The Piano Man displayed in a prominent place. Billy was born in 1949 in the Bronx, NY. At age 15, he played his first… Read more »
Freddie Mercury of Queen
I was also commissioned in 2021 to create Freddie Mercury, the highly theatrical front man of Queen. And, I have to say he was great fun to create. I decided to pay tribute to him from his famous Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium in 1985, which most consider to be his greatest performance. Mercury… Read more »