The Sower
Being an artist is a long haul journey. You have to keep showing up and doing the work, even when it seems like nothing is happening. I envisioned it much like this sower, casting seeds. It doesn’t look like much is happening at first but when things take root and start to grow, you will reap a harvest. This is my “note to self” to keep casting seeds. “The Sower” acrylic, metallic gold on 16 x 20 canvas.
#artist #art #painting #sower #work #fineart #originalart #inspirational #canvas #artgallery #gallery #mikebone #mikebrennanart #artwork #artistsoninstagram #artistlife #artlovers #artworld #njartist #njart #sow #reap #harvest
Inside Look: Uniform Pets - Firefighter Aussie Australian Shepherd
For this post I’m sharing about the inspiration behind the Firefighter Aussie Australian Shepherd.
I wasn’t one of those kids who said he wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up. I think I always knew on some level that I wanted to be an artist. But coming from a long line of family in public service (police mostly), I understood the importance and sacrifice associated with this position. Firefighters are called to be courageous, self sacrificing servants for the safety and good of the public. I will never know such a burden or call myself, but I readily acknowledge that they are to be thanked and praised for their selfless, and often dangerous work.
A quick catch up if you’re just joining in: for the next several posts, I’m going to be giving you an inside look into my new series “Uniform Pets”. I’ll be sharing the insights and inspiration behind each piece. You can see my previous post for my inspiration on the Police German Shepherd and the Girl Scout - Chihuahua.
The series as a whole came about as I was thinking about how we identify and categorize, specifically, dress code pertaining to jobs/organizations, as well as breeds of pets. We know a police officer in a crowd of people because we’ve identified their uniform. We’ve come to expect a certain dress code associated with our doctor’s visits. If he or she were dressed in a tie dyed t-shirt and shorts, we would question their abilities and professionalism. Yet, this same doctor might be dressed that way on their “off hours”. We don’t have the same feelings towards a Chihuahua and a Pit bull. One has become an icon of the Hollywood elite and the other has been mired in PR issues with news reports spreading incidents of their aggressiveness.
Most of the time, we don’t think about these connections. They are part of the operating system that runs below the surface. In this series, I hope to make viewers stop and think more about these connections and assumptions.
For this post I’m sharing about the inspiration behind the Firefighter Aussie Australian Shepherd.
I wasn’t one of those kids who said he wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up. I think I always knew on some level that I wanted to be an artist. But coming from a long line of family in public service (police mostly), I understood the importance and sacrifice associated with this position. Firefighters are called to be courageous, self sacrificing servants for the safety and good of the public. I will never know such a burden or call myself, but I readily acknowledge that they are to be thanked and praised for their selfless, and often dangerous work.
This piece was created to honor them and all they do. I’ve only know a few firefighters personally, and they have always been people of integrity and service. And often the sacrifice they face can be great.
In 2014, my brother lost a close friend in the line of duty. Lt. Gordon "Matt" Ambelas was killed when he became trapped while looking for victims in a high-rise fire in NY. He left behind his wife Nanette, and two young daughters.
I had the privilege of knowing Matt, through my brother. He was unassuming and in true form of a firefighter, a servant. He was an everyday man. And those like Matt, serve us everyday, risking their lives for our collective safety. They don’t run away from danger, but towards it.
In the case of September 11th 2001, the images of selfless firefighters (among others) running into the collapsing World Trade Center will forever be etched in my mind. They are true heroes.
So although this is a small offering, I hope this portrait honors all past and present firefighters.
I matched firefighter with an Australian Shepherd, or Aussie as they’re affectionately know as, because it’s been said that that breed is happiest when they have a job to do. They are wonderful family companions and a true working dog at heart.
As far as the two different color eyes (a genetic default known as Heterochromia Iridis) there are a few legends surround this, such that dogs with two different color eyes can view heaven and earth at the same time or that heterochromatic dogs are natural protectors. The truth behind why I chose to include this in my portrait is that I just thought it looked cool, and reminded me a bit of David Bowie :)
This piece was digitally painted using my iPad Pro, and app called Procreate and Photoshop on my Macbook Pro.
It's available in 3 options:
Do you know someone who would love this? Share it with them. Or better yet, why not get one as a gift to show your appreciation!
Inside Look: Uniform Pets - Girl Scout - Chihuahua
For this post I’m sharing about the inspiration behind the Girl Scout - Chihuahua.
This one reaches back to some of my earliest memories. I have a sister who is 3 years older than me. All through elementary school, she was a part of the Brownies and Girl Scouts. My mother also helped in her troop, so I would be taken along.
First a quick catch up: for the next several posts, I’m going to be giving you an inside look into my new series “Uniform Pets”. I’ll be sharing the insights and inspiration behind each piece.
The series as a whole came about as I was thinking about how we identify and categorize, specifically, dress code pertaining to jobs/organizations, as well as breeds of pets. We know a police officer in a crowd of people because we’ve identified their uniform. We’ve come to expect a certain dress code associated with our doctor’s visits. If he or she were dressed in a tie dyed t-shirt and shorts, we would question their abilities and professionalism. Yet, this same doctor might be dressed that way on their “off hours”. We don’t have the same feelings towards a Chihuahua and a Pit bull. One has become an icon of the Hollywood elite and the other has been mired in PR issues with news reports spreading incidents of their aggressiveness.
Most of the time, we don’t think about these connections. They are part of the operating system that runs below the surface. In this series, I hope to make viewers stop and think more about these connections and assumptions.
For this post I’m sharing about the inspiration behind the Girl Scout - Chihuahua.
This one reaches back to some of my earliest memories. I have a sister who is 3 years older than me. All through elementary school, she was a part of the Brownies and Girl Scouts. My mother also helped in her troop, so I would be taken along.
I remember craft projects, the uniforms, the badges and achievements. I remember sitting in the cafeteria of St. Rita’s Catholic school (where we both attended) after school hours with the smell of mop water still hanging in the air. And the cookies. Oh, the cookies. That’s probably the biggest marketing promotion for the Girl Scouts ever. Even to this day, I doubt people associate much else with the Girl Scouts beyond the cookies. But there is indeed MUCH more.
Consider their oath, while raising three fingers (long before a Hunger Games salute was even a thought): "A Girl Scout is ready to help out wherever she is needed. Willingness to serve is not enough; you must know how to do the job well, even in an emergency."
Later on, I did my own, albeit short, stint in the cub scouts. And even though it was short lived, I’m glad I did it. I have fond memories of pinewood derbies (but I always lost), playing “steal the bacon” with our bright yellow scarfs, and learning a little about some tools from our a neighborhood friends father who was our den leader.
This is dedicated to the scouts and leaders who at the heart of it all, looked to the needs of others rather than themselves.
Close up detail of the Girl Scout Chihuahua
And my choice of the Chihuahua just seemed appropriate for the sweet innocent look of this breed. A few friends and family members think I modeled this Chihuahua after my own, Cooper, but it’s not him (honestly!). Regardless, there’s something about those eyes that beckon you to buy cookies. Or an art print :)
This piece was digitally painted using my iPad Pro, and app called Procreate and Photoshop on my Macbook Pro.
It's available in 3 options:
Deluxe Matted 8x10 giclée art print (final size 11x14) - $65
Gallery Wrapped 16x20 Canvas - $320
Gallery Wrapped 24x30 Canvas (Limited Edition - 250) - $720
Do you know someone who would love this? Share it with them. Or better yet, why not get one as a gift to show your appreciation!
Inside Look: Uniform Pets - Police Officer - German Shepherd
For the next several posts, I’m going to be giving you an inside look into my new series “Uniform Pets”. I’ll be sharing the insights and inspiration behind each piece.
The series as a whole came about as I was thinking about how we identify and categorize, specifically, dress code pertaining to jobs/organizations, as well as breeds of pets. We know a police officer in a crowd of people because we’ve identified their uniform.
For the next several posts, I’m going to be giving you an inside look into my new series “Uniform Pets”. I’ll be sharing the insights and inspiration behind each piece.
The series as a whole came about as I was thinking about how we identify and categorize, specifically, dress code pertaining to jobs/organizations, as well as breeds of pets. We know a police officer in a crowd of people because we’ve identified their uniform. We’ve come to expect a certain dress code associated with our doctor’s visits. If he or she were dressed in a tie dyed t-shirt and shorts, we would question their abilities and professionalism. Yet, this same doctor might be dressed that way on their “off hours”. We don’t have the same feelings towards a Chihuahua and a Pit bull. One has become an icon of the Hollywood elite and the other has been mired in PR issues with news reports spreading incidents of their aggressiveness.
Most of the time, we don’t think about these connections. They are part of the operating system that runs below the surface. In this series, I hope to make viewers stop and think more about these connections and assumptions.
I’d like to begin with “Police Officer - German Shepherd”.
In today’s day and age, the public opinion of the police has been tarnished, especially where incidents of police brutality and misuse of power fills the news. While most artists, who are more activist in nature, might spend their efforts creating art around these injustices, I want to honor those who do their job with integrity.
My father was a NYC police officer, a detective in fact. I grew up respecting the police. I got an inside look at what officers had to go through, the sacrifice, risk, and a level of stress that few of us will ever know.
Artists and the Police are often at odds, and that was a bit true in our household as well. My father used to teach at the police academy in NYC that overlooked one of the buildings of the School of Visual Arts. Legend has it that he and other officers would often shake their heads at the strange artists (after all, I’m sure there were a fair share of artists who had trouble with the law). As the story goes, he was quoted as saying, “None of my kids will ever go to such a place.” Ironically, probably a good 10 years later, that was indeed the very art school I attended. He might not have understood art, but he was supportive of mine.
As a tribute to my dad (who passed away a few years ago) I used his badge and shield number in this piece. The name tag cites "Shepherd", not only references the German Shepherd breed but also the role of a shepherd (to serve, protect, help bring order and guidance.)
For the dog breed, I chose a German Shepherd, the breed most associated with K9 units. They are known for their high intelligence, loyalty, ability to be aggressive and ease of training.
Close up detail of "Police Officer - German Shepherd" Painting.
This piece was digitally painted using my iPad Pro, and app called Procreate and Photoshop on my Macbook Pro.
It's available in 3 options:
Deluxe Matted 8x10 giclée art print (final size 11x14) - $65
Gallery Wrapped 16x20 Canvas - $320
Gallery Wrapped 24x30 Canvas (Limited Edition - 250) - $720
Do you know someone who would love this? Share it with them. Or better yet, why not get one as a gift to show your appreciation!
Yoga art inspired by @lale_871
Put your best foot forward. Want some custom yoga art? Message me & let's get to work! Yoga art inspired by @lale_871 @yogi_toes #yoga #art #digitalart #fitness #wellness #health #yogaart #custom
#tbt live painting
#TBT to a live worship painting I did at @liquidchurch this past year. There's an energy and excitement that comes from the unpredictable nature of painting live that is unlike anything else. Hoping 2017 holds opportunity to do more live art. Photo cred: @jay.loden #painting #artist #painter #worship #livepainting #art #originalart #creative #fineart #church #event
Portrait of Emily
I had the privilege of creating this portrait of Emily as a Christmas present for Ryan's wife. Unfortunately, the surprise got leaked but she loved it!
Here's what Ryan had to say "I have been a fan of Mike's work for a long time and after our Christmas shoot with our daughter Emily I felt like I had the perfect picture to be made into a portrait in his amazing style. While I spilled the beans on the Christmas present early, my wife loves the portrait. Mike was able to capture both the physical details of Emily, but also her joyful disposition. We are thrilled to have this keepsake marking Emily's first birthday and second Christmas".
- Ryan
Painting from the Soul
If you've been following me for any length of time, you probably know that I do Pet Portraits, Pop Culture Art, maybe even Graphic Design, but you might not be aware of another aspect of my life that is very important to me: my faith. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to do a live painting during my church's Sunday services. I did 4 paintings actually. One practice and three more, one for each service.
There's something that makes me come alive when I can get lost in music (centered around God) and paint what flows out of me. It's a response. It's part of my faith.
You may or may not consider yourself a person of faith, but perhaps you have had the sensation of being so utterly passionate while doing something that you loose track of all time. It's a place where you're not critiquing or second guessing, But a place of creation, where you unleash something from deep inside. It's not about head choices, but heart ones.
As I write this I'm putting the finishing touches on a recreation of this painting "Worship (Sensate)". I recorded a bit of the process of my painting in time lapse and posted below.
If you have any questions about this painting, my process or supplies used, just leave a comment. Also I am accepting commission on a few more recreations of this painting, so if you would like one, email me and let's talk about how we can get one in your home or church today!
One of the original paintings I did live during the worship service. It's acrylic on wood.
When Scars Become Art
On the Left is the original photo and the final digital pet portrait on the right.
If you had told me when I was a kid that I would be capturing people's beloved family member pets using my art, I would have laughed. Or run the other way at least.
When I was around seven years old, a neighborhood friend encouraged me to pet a dog that was loose on our street. She was under the impression that this dog belonged to a fellow neighbor. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a stray, who when feeling threatened, chomped down his teeth on my little seven year old hand. I was terrified. I can still remember the sting of the bite. I had to get several stitches, that resulted in scars still visible today. So, needless to say, I became extremely afraid of dogs.
Thankfully, years later my family adopted a scrappy little Border Collie mixed breed, named Barney. He was insane. He loved to howl while I played guitar, jumped in the air constantly, and wedged himself between me and some girlfriends through the years. He had wiggled his way into my heart. My fears quickly faded away. In its place grew a love for "man’s best friend".
Today, I am the proud owner of two dogs, Biscuit (a Golden mix) and Cooper (a Chihuahua mix). They are forever by my side (Even as I write this).
If you’re anything like me, your camera roll on your phone is filled with photos of your pet. When they make “that” face. When they pose for you almost knowing you’ll be posting their photo to social media immediately. We try to capture their personality and essence. Because we love them, and want others to love them too. We want them to see what we see!
But we never print those photos do we? We post them to social media where they get buried in the stream of activity. We might have intentions to print our pets photo, but even i we do, the likelihood of us actually hanging that photo on display are pretty slim. Can you relate?
That’s why I love creating pet portraits. It’s making a decision to value your pet with art. Art that you proudly display in your home or office. Art that capture that certain something about your pet - that thing you love. That thing you always talk about with others.
I get it. I’m one of you- a pet lover. Whether it’s creating art for a current pet or one that has passed on, I love to partner with owners like you to create a special work of art that you can be proud to display and share with others.
So can I ask you a question? Have you considered having a pet portrait created? Do you know where you would proudly display it? Maybe today is the day to push past intentions (like printing those camera roll photos), and finally make the decision to have a one-of-a-kind pet portrait created.
If you’re interested, I’d love to talk to you about how I can help. I apply not only my many years as an artist, but also my love for animals, these pets that become family. It would be my privilege! Just fill out this form at the bottom of the page and let’s start our conversation today!
2 Things You can Do Today to Advance as an Artist
There are two things you can do right now, where ever & whoever you are, to put your creative skills to work and advance as an artist.
1. Create for YOU.
When was the last time you created something "just because"? Something that you just felt inspired to do that had nothing to do with work, or getting paid. Something born of passion. There might be a million reasons you can come up with why you shouldn't or can't. But tell them to stuff it, and get to creating. It just might be the best thing you've done in a long while. Even if no one else ever sees it.
2. Create for THEM.
You have this amazing ability. And you have it for a reason - to share it! Once you get past the objections of why you can't create for someone else (It's not good enough, i can't afford it, i need to get paid for it...) you can experience the joy of giving. You never know what impact sharing your art with others might have. And while I'm not saying to give away all your art and do it for free- I am saying that sometimes you do need to give it away. Because it's about more than money. It's about creating something uniquely, beautifully you and having your creation impact someone else's life for good.
What are you going to create today? Who needs to experience your art?
Time-lapse Drawing of Concert
Here's a quick pen, watercolor and pencil sketch of a concert photo. Enjoy!
30 Paintings in 30 Days Complete Project
Here's a look at the 30 days all together in one collage. Enjoy!
