In spite of the dubious protestations in the title of his tumblr (see "I Am Not an Artist"), my brother is indeed a bona fide artist. His work has been bought and sold and he is regularly shown in galleries and at special events. While his work maintains a "low-brow" sensibility, he is a master of composition and he is constantly working on refining his skills and employing innovative techniques. My favorite part of having an "artist" for a brother is the benefit of custom artwork.
Our most recent Christmas celebrations found us drawing names for gifts; too many people and too few dollars made it a budget and time-friendly necessity. Lucky for me, my brother drew my name and I got one of the coolest presents of my life -a matched set of pop art-inspired, Doris Day portraits.
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| Aren't these cool?!! Hand painted and screened with Doris Day's visage, what isn't visible in the photograph is the micro-glitter that shimmers over the entire piece. wacky tacky and glitter are inexorably bound together! |
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| I love this picture of Doris Day and the way he mirrored the slight tilt of her head; in my mind it makes it more of a set and looks more dynamic when hung. The scale is great too; these 2x2', lime green and bright orange wall hangings make quite a statement. |
After seeing the thrill I expressed upon removing the brown-paper wrapping from these beauties, do you think my fifteen-year-old cousin made fun of me by telling me not to cry? Yep. Did I cry? I was close (we are huge crybabies in our family). As I have mentioned before, I LOOOOOVE handmade gifts!!! There is something so miraculous about the beautiful synergy of an honest "It's the thought that counts" sentimentality and the exhibition of time, talent, and love. Unlike many of the gifts that are exchanged over the holiday season, most of which will quickly fall out of favor or fashion, these pieces will stay with me forever. Interesting art and the thoughtfulness of a talented sibling - now that is good gift giving! He might have a hard time recognizing and accepting his talent - but I don't! MY BROTHER IS AN ARTIST!!!
"Any Way the Wind Blows" - Doris Day
Just because I made "the artist" and his girlfriend
watch this scene from Please Don't Eat the Daisies
the other day as I sang along...
Cheers!
Mr. Tiny
