Selling Artwork

Here is an example of one of the large canvases I am selling at the upcoming neighborhood artist's market. I am also selling a ton of smaller paintings. Who knows how they'll sell? I've never tried to sell anything like this before so we'll see what happens.

As I look at this painting again, I am reminded by how many different artists influence me and my work. As a largely self-taught artist, I am always looking for new artists to copy from :). Herer are a few of my immediate influences.

This is Peter De'Seve and he is THE MAN. His artwork has been seen EVERYWHERE--The New Yorker, Newsweek, Dewar's Ads. He is one of the best draftsmen I've ever seen. He makes it look so easy--but, be warned, his style is impossible to mimic. A virtuoso with watercolor and ink, his work almost jumps from the page. It's no surprise that he is one of the most sought-after illustrators in the animation industry.

Mort Drucker is one of the great living caricaturists. His work has been featured mostly in MAD MAGAZINE. I remember as a kid, lying on my stomach in my bedroom looking at old MAD MAGAZINES from the 70's--back when it was a great showcase for art and satire. My favorite piece of his was a satire of THE GODFATHER where he managed to recreate scenes exactly from the movie. To this day, whenever I see THE GODFATHER, I relate every scene back to that issue of MAD. Drucker and the rest of the cadre at MAD (Jack Davis, Harry North, Bob Clarke, Sergio Aragones, Al Jaffee) are probably the biggest influences on me.

J. C. Leyendecker is a favorite of mine from the "Golden Age of Illustration." He is most famous for his Saturday Evening Post covers. As I become a better painter and draftsman, I find myself looking again and again at his work for inspiration. His distinctive style of loose strokes over an extremely tight drawing and underpainting gives the appearance of the illustration looking almost unfinished. I much prefer his work to Rockwell for this reason.

I just LOOOOOVE Ralph Steadman's work. Not really an influence on me per se. I just dig his style. Again, very recognizable.

Oh, and I can't forget my mom... Probably the BIGGEST influence--next to the guys at MAD.

As I look at these images, I see again and again that, as my personal style continues to evolve, so does the bevy of artists who are a direct influence on me and my work.