Arts and Sports 02 – Golfing

I decided yesterday to have a sports art blog week, and started with cycling. As I said, I love sports and have practised many of them. One of my favourite sports is golf. Some people might say this isn’t a sport, but they haven’t got a clue what they are talking about. When you  play in Spain on a course which goes up and down all the time and under a very hot sun, then your body bloody knows that it is a sport! I never was a fan of using a buggy, because in golf what I really love is the mix of walking in the nature and hitting the ball between.

So today is golf art on my blog menu.  “Earn Your Stripes” is one of the first I did of Tiger Woods, as he was still a real tiger, on top of his form, before all the stuff about his unfaithfulness came out. Honestly, I don’t care about his private life. And I don’t even care about him as a human being, probably because he does not seem to be the most sympathetic guy in the world… but he was a great golf champion, and whatever people might think or wish, I believe he still is. He just needs to get his act together again. Winds of marital changes are not strong enough  to blow down such a monument of a person, only some hurricane could… so I say: one day he will be back!!! And I am not expressing here my wishes, just my thoughts… I would add though that if he was a little bit more humble, he would be back earlier…  and I would like him much more as a person!  But would he be still Tiger Woods if he was humble? I guess not…

Anyway, the thing with the tiger inspired me to do the painting above, which I personally like quite a lot!

Golfing in Club Fontana 03 - by Miki

Painting inspired from a scene of the PGA tour in G0lf Club Fontana in Austria. I don’t remember though who the player is… just loved the contrast between the green and the orange of his shirt. I was also inspired by the light and shadow contrasts.

Golfing in Crans-sur-Sierre 01 - by Miki

Crans-sur-Sierre, in Switzerland,  my favourite golf course from the European PGA tour. I guess my painting of the grass is a little bit too untidy and wild, but I love it like that. Just taking advantage of my artist’s freedom!

Looking at my cycling paintings yesterday, I thought I should try the same technique in golf (and other sports too). I wanted to try quickly to see how it works on golf, and simply took a nice photo from the net to base it on. Now, I am probably not allowed to sell this painting without the authorization of the photographer, but well, I do like the result, and perhaps some others will, and it might even be that the photographer takes pity on a poor artist… if not, he/she should contact me! I will probably do some golf art in this technique these days, but based on my own material.

Golfscape 01 - by Miki

Enough golf for today, although I have dozens of art works about them. Another time perhaps. But of course, if you insist, I will show you another one.. some golf fun.. the ultimate golfer’s gift!!!

The Ultimate Golfer's Gift - by Miki

You can purchase prints of these paintings (on paper or canvas) in many different sizes, or a greeting card, in my online gallery. Just click on the widgets below

 

And more generally you can see many of my dreams, nightmares, passions, loves and hates by going to my gallery “Miki’s Enchanted World”

The Forbidden Fruit and so on…

Le Fruit Defendu - by Miki

Yesterday afternoon, tired of all the travel sketches business = finishing, photographing and publishing works from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Republic Czech – I spent some hours in my atelier “for the dirty work”, as I call it. This is a place specially designed for my colour wildernesses, and believe me, after such a seance, the room is a total mess! I play with colours, instruments, waters, knifes, needles, sprays, whatever comes undo my hand and my inspiration. The result is quite random generally. Then I just let my fantasy free with the task to make something artistic out of it. Later on with help of the computer if necessary. In the above piece I incorporated within the acrylics chaos a tender pastel portrait of that beautiful girl called “Tara Summers” , whom I discovered in in one of my favourite TV shows “Boston Legal”

Eternel Feminin - by Miki

Similar technique for this one, with a pastel portrait of one of mu nieces… the result looked pretty feminine to me, hence the title…

These paintings  (and all my work too too) are available as Giclee prints in many sizes and as Greeting Cards. If you are interested to purchase some,  visit my Fine Art America Gallery or drop me a line

A Summer Trip to The Czech Republic 01

It was in July this year (2011). The main reason for this trip was not the usual one, i.e. painting – We went there to attend a gig by our favourite Supergroup

“Black Country Communion”

In case you don’t know them, here are two of them, Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa.Glenn pointing at God and saying “You Rock!”

Black Country Communion – by Miki

Anyway, the gig took place in Loket and was fabulous, although we spent it under a torrential rainstorm… reminding me how awful the summers can be in that part of the world (I have been living in Germany a long long time!!!). I really prefer our daily desert heat!

Of course I can’t go anywhere without having to paint it… Before going to Loket, we spent three days in Prague, exploring the whole town. That place is certainly one of the most beautiful and exciting towns in the world! I would need an entire lifetime to paint it and render the homage it deserves,, so I did what I could in that short time…

The Charles Bridge for example was a feast for the eyes.. and the ears!

Charles Bridge in Prague.- By Miki

Street Musicians in Prague - by Miki

My artist eyes were also attracted by the tramways of course… here is the most attractIve among them!

Cafe Tramway in Prague - Aquarelle - - by Miki

More Prague paintings in my next post…

Loneliness in Old Age in Italy

Old and Lonely in Italy 02 - by Miki

 

Seen and painted in Cortona, Tuscany, Italy at the entrance of a wine shop. Watercolour and ink.

Old and Lonely in Italy 04 - by Miki

 

Seen and painted in the medieval town Montepulciano Tuscan. Watercolour and some ink.

Old and Lonely in Italy 05 - by Miki

 

Seen and painted in Colle d’Val d’Elsa in Tuscany, Italy. To tell the whole truth, the olf guy was not really sitting alone at that cafe table… and the bottle of wine was not THAT big!  But fits well into the series.

 

Togetherness in Old Age in Italy

Together old in Italy 01 - by Miki

Travel sketch in ink and watercolour. From the new series “Togetherness and Loneliness in Old Age”.

I spotted these 2 ladies on a bench in Lucca, on the promenade on the city wall. I was delighted by the expressions in their faces, also by the contrast between their black clothes and their faces and the coloured background. I did a quick sketch, but in the heat of the moment, listening to all these secrets they were telling each other, i forgot to take a photograph to refer too later.. Well, just a sketch, but quite funny I think, and quite typical for how I perceived old women in Italy: still enjoying life!

Together old in Italy 04 - by Miki

I spotted this old “couple” in Pietrasanta (Tuscany I think… too lazy to check if Pietrasanta is really still in Tuscany!). Another way not be lonely in old age, a certainly very rewarding one…

Together old in Italy 05 - by Miki

And I saw these 2 guys chatting in the sea town Camogli on the Italian Riviera. Simply a great motif!

Hermann The German

Herman The German, Kev Moore and Miki in El Retiro in Turre, Andalusia

We went today to our local Art Gallery, El Retiro, to attend the weekly exhibition -congratulations, by the way, to the exhibiting artist Eileen Ward  -, and I had the pleasure to meet “Hermann The German”, a  Banjo player and singer who lives around here. Apart from enjoying listening to him, I was also quite happy to speak to a German guy again, as I spent most of my adult life in Germany. Unfortunately I did not dare to speak German, although it is a language I had mastered perfectly not a long time ago. But since I met Kevin, I speak and listen to English 88% of the time, and my active German is totally fading away. Such a pity for me, as I loved the German language.

Anyway, it was great to speak and to listen to Herman The German, under our wonderful Spanish sun… coming originally from the North of Germany,somewhere between Hamburg and Lubeck, he also knew the Meyer Werft, the big ship-building company from Papenburg, Emsland, where I used to live for a long time. A place I did love. I went quite emotional as he mentioned the Meyer Werft!

So here he is, Herman the German, our local Banjo player! No way I would not try to paint him as soon as possible, such a wonderful character!

Herman The German - By Miki

And if you want a print (on paper or canvas and many different sizes available) just click on the widget below

Moore and Moore…

Gary Moore - by Miki

Just some weeks ago, on February the 6th 2011, the famous Irish blues rock guitarist and singer Gary Moore died of a suspected heart attack in his hotel room while on holiday in Estepona, Spain. Only some hundred kilometres down the coast from us. We were both very shocked and spent the next few days listening to his music and getting the blues…

The day after he passed away, I made a portrait of Gary Moore, not meant to be a very realistic one, just a basic but heart-felt impression of him. A portrait which, I think, says it all about his total dedication to music.

This month, our beloved local magazine. “The Sentinella” (with the cute slogan “The little mag which fits in your bag”) published an article written by Kev Moore in honour of Gary Moore and illustrated by my painting.

This is only a screen shot of the on-line edition, but if you want to see and read the article in its context, just go there please:

The Semtinella – Mojacar edition online

to page 14. You can also take time to browse, there is loads of interesting stuff in that little mag!

The day after I published the painting in my blog about my portraits artwork, I was contacted by a woman from the USA, writing me following words:

“…My father raised me on the greats; jeff beck, gary moore, kim simmons. When he told me of his passing I could hear the crack in his voice. His birthday is February 13 and I would really love to purchase a print for him. Please let me know as soon as possible how much I can buy one for and where to get it! I would love to contact you directly so that I can get quicker shipping and get it to him soon!! He would love this to complete his extensive collection and to honor a great! Bravo!…”

She purchased the print for her father through my Fine Art America gallery, the very first one I sold. I sent them a certificate verifying

that it was the first print, and some days ago I received the following wonderful photo of her Dad with the print and the certificate on the wall. A very touching moment for me!

Keith Coleman. - Oregon, USA

My special thanks go here to Veronica, for choosing my painting as a birthday gift for her Dad, and to Angela, her Mom, for sending me the birthday photos. And also to her Dad, Keith for having such a great  taste in music ! 

The Art of Survival

I am immensely proud to announce that my African Godson and wonderful artist Emmanuel Baliyanga is making the cover of our local English spoken magazine “The Sentinella” with one of his marvellous paintings “Senegalese Woman” of an African woman carrying a baby

The Sentinella – March 2011 Edition

But not only that. The Sentinella was so kind to publish an article I wrote, “A Modern Way of Humanitarian Help: The Art of Survival”, telling the story of my encounter with Emmanuel. It is indeed an interesting and exciting story, as Emmanuel is originally from Rwanda, and had to flee the Genocide after all 10 members of his family were killed.  Actually working occasionally for a book publishing company in Cameroon, he contacted me for the first time some months ago to ask my permission to use one of my Obama portrait paintings for the cover of a book in homage to Obama.

Here is a screen shot of the article in The Sentinella

Emmanuel Baliyanga and Miki in The Sentinella

But to be able to read it more comfortably, and anyway to browse through the whole magazine (do it, it is packed with exciting articles!), go please to the Edition online.

Even better:  if you live in our area (Turre, Provincia de Almeria, Andalusia, Spain” pick up a printed edition at your local bar, cafe or supermarket. And don’t forget to tell The Sentinella what you think about it, they love to get feedback!

Born To Be a Star

Today, working on my new series of impressions (these weird paintings which start with an acrylic  background created in a quite random way, letting Mother Nature play with colours and water and Paper), I had a great idea, connected  to a little boy called Cohen, my partner’s Grandson. He was born just before Christmas 2009.One of the impression paintings was like a wonderful white flower, and I just had the vision of little newborn Cohen in the heart of that flower.

Born To Be A Star - by Miki

Then the title came to my mind, “Born To Be A Star”.

And then I thought: it is really not easy to become a Star nowadays…

Then came this fabulous idea:

All earning raised from sales of prints and greeting cards (for new birth announcements, etc.) of this painting will be put into a savings account for him, which he will receive when he is 18. This should help him in the expensive business of becoming a Star!!!

So people, if you like this painting, and want to help us to raise a star (not that we know if he has any kind of talent yet  , you can buy a Giclee print/Greeting card directly online by clicking on the widget below!

Robbie Savage Makes the Statistics

When you start exhibiting your art on the net, and want to be successful all around the world, you have to work hard everyday. Publishing new paintings, writing new blogs posts, twitting, facebooking, etc. Unless of course you are already famous and already have millions of followers, which is not my case. Anyway, I don’t like fame, at least not when it becomes too obvious and followers become stalkers, kind of… following and being followed is in fact  one of the many social jails I always tried to escape in my life.

Anyway, in the past, one of my active places on the net was Flickr. But caught on other platforms, I had stopped to publish for a long while. Yesterday, who knows why, after receiving one of these Flick mails from a new fan, I went there and checked the statistics, expecting to see the amount of daily visits  reduced to null. But it was the contrary! What a strange thing the internet is! I have often noticed it, by sites and blogs, they always say that the search engines want you to publish new material all the time, but strangely enough, exactly in the time when I work much, the stats numbers go dramatically down! And when I do nothing, the numbers go up! This must be the result of some “Gravity”.

Well, this morning I checked the stars again, a little bit closer this time, and found out to my big surprise that half of my views in Flickr since the 29th of November, are focussed on ONE painting.

My portrait of Robbie Savage!!!!

Instead of an average of 1 view per day, it jumped to 250 views per day! Now, for the ignorant who still don’t know Robbie Savage, let me say that: he is one of the players of our Football  Team “Derby County”

Robbie Savage - By MIki

Like always my little brain was very curious to understand this sudden phenomena. So with these facts and numbers I went to Kev Moore, my partner and another ‘celebrity’ of Derby County and always aware of everything going on there. He explained to me what is going on with Robbie in the UK right now, and here it is, Kev Moore personally, telling you about Robbie Savage:

“Robbie’s star is rising right now as a result of a cumulation of many things, he has just passed his 600 league game milestone, he has been a high profile player for many years, via Man Utd, Leicester, Blackburn and Birmingham, and now of course Derby, where under Nigel Clough, he found himself resurrected in the twilight of his career. Enjoying the notoriety of being ‘the pantomime villain’ he was always the perfect candidate to have an autobiography ghostwritten, and this was recently released. Add to this Robbie’s dovetailing of his new media career with his impending retirement from the game proper, including appearances on BBC Radio and Television, and you see his profile spilling over into the non-football public. The icing on the cake is the huge following Robbie has garnered on Twitter. Simply put, he’s reaching more people than ever before and more people are talking about him, and searching for him on the net.”

And if you are interested in buying a Giclee print of this portrait, it is available in many different sizes and on different supports – Papers, canvasses, etc.) in my FAA Gallery. I am not sure though that I am allowed to sell these prints without Robbie’s permission, and if it is the case, I am sorry and will retract the painting from sale. I guess his agents will let me know. Anyway, this portrait is, I guess, much too romantic for most of the fans… which makes me want to make another one, depicting the wild savage…

Another great product featuring Robbie Savage has been created in the family:  “Fan Fayre for The Commons People”.

Kev Moore’s 12 track CD in homage to his club  Derby County,

Featuring Commons People, Can’t let Savage go, The Derby Ram, Steve Bloomer’s (still) watching, We’ll always be the Derby, Nothinghamshire, and many more!

Fanfayre for The Commons People - CD by Kev Moore

You can purchase it in Miki’s Mart online