Why does everyone want to paint a Basquiat Crown?

Basquiat Crown style thrift store painting

The art of Jean-Michel Basquiat has become a cultural force, everything from the Brooklyn Nets using Basquiat as inspiration for basketball jerseys, to countless artists impersonating his style – or elements of his style, in their own art. For example, Basquiat was known for putting a crown in his art works, and I swear I … Read more

Giving Art Away for Free

public art by Mark McKinney

I was reading an old article from the NY Times about an artist who gives away his art, secretly … and it was both fascinating and thought-provoking. The artist, Fred Cray, has hidden over 32,000 works of his art throughout New York City over the past 12 years. He has a totally different approach than … Read more

An artistic appreciation for Poisonous Dart Frogs

black and yellow poisonous dart frog

I saw this Poisonous Dart Frog at the Jenkinson’s Aquarium at Point Pleasant Beach in New Jersey, and was struck by the beauty of the bright colors and patterns on its body. I think I could get some ideas from these patterns for a painting, it’s certainly a striking look. They’re not just good-looking for … Read more

Scaling up sticker art into large paintings

Hello My Name Is tag with graffiti

I often see small sticker art pieces that have beautiful tags and wonder what it would look like if one made them into a large scale painting? Quite a few of the “slaps” that I see, such as the one here, as seen in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, have some nice abstract expressionist qualities, … Read more

NJ Garage Frieze with Relief Sculpture

artistic garage in NJ with relief sculpture two reclining nudes

I was on a walk in Montclair, NJ today when I noticed this garage (above) on a residential street, and did a double-take. From a distance, I could that there was a custom installation of an artistic frieze, featuring some relief sculpture, but I had to move closer to get a better look. Once I … Read more

Painting in a high-rise apartment

View of a high-rise on East 45th Street in NYC

I had the tv on while cleaning up after dinner tonight, and the show on was “My Lottery Dream Home” with David Bromstad. The couple being featured had won $15 million on a lottery ticket and decided to shop for their dream home with a budget of $700,000 … my first thought was, if you’ve … Read more

Art on a truck – a mobile art exhibition

a landscaper's truck

I was running some errands the other day when I noticed this landscaper’s truck ahead of me, and those nice rectangular areas on the back … I thought, who needs an art gallery exhibition? Wouldn’t it be cool to have some paintings on the back of this truck being driven all around town for people … Read more

Making art from old postcards

my collection of vintage postcards from the 1980s

I pulled out a box of old postcards from the late 1970s and early 1980s the other day and started looking through them. These were postcards that I had bought as a kid on family vacations (many of which involved riding in the far back of a station wagon without any seat belts … how … Read more