And then the silence...

But only here on my blog... because I was busy as...

Painting live and in my studio (at home), in various shows and events and charities... so let me update you with some pictures so you can catch-up while I catch my breath... 


Let's start with Dali and this time the artists were invited to create a portrait of Dali. As Dali was often portrayed in the absurdest surroundings or poses, I always liked this portrait done by Irving Penn from 1947 where Salvador Dali is sitting on a rock.. waiting to strike an absurd pose perhaps and the picture is taken.

Symbolique Sans
48" x 48"
Mixed media on wood

detail of Symbolique Sans

detail of Symbolique Sans

detail of Symbolique Sans

But to honor his passion for symbolism I added the drawers with little secrets  like the elephants, an egg and an ant. One drawer I kept empty.... a small drawer where his heart would be... now empty but once filled.

The Son of Modern Man
18" x 24"
acrylics on Linen

And it didn't stop there as the surrealists were concerned.... I painted my version of the "Son of Man" by Magritte and re-named it " The Son of Modern man". I replaced the apple for a modern apple but by flipping the phone to show the viewer what this Son was looking at.. I realized I had to paint whatever it was up-side-down.


And I painted my version of A Velasquez: the portrait of The Infanta Margarita Teresa of Spain, who I presented with a small problem of loading her phone with no outlet in sight... in 1653 a very common problem I presume. 

Margarita Teresa is not in charge
30" x 40"
Acrylics on canvas

 I also was invited to re-do a room at Macy's in Doral and that was pretty amazing to do... and it was a great opportunity to show my dogs and a cat paintings again. So I went full in including a few hand embellished pillows...

Yup... so far Live is good here in Miami and more to come.. like 2 shows just this week, a commission to finish and who knows what else comes my way.... until next time!

DALI & ME

Several weeks ago I was contacted by a curator with the question if I was interested in participating in an exhibition based on the work of Dali. Each artist would choose from a selection of prints by Dali and make their own interpretation of it. 

And before I even knew what pieces I could choose from, I already said yes. Do something based on a master's piece: NO BRAINER!

She send me a list of prints to choose from and soon enough one jumped out for me: A Flordali from 1969 named "Les Fruits Pomegranate" also known as "Pomegranate and Angel".

I started reading about the fruit and its symbolic meaning and found out that the pomegranate has been used throughout history and in almost every religion as a symbol of humanity's most fundamental beliefs and desires, including life and death, rebirth and eternal life, fertility and marriage, abundance and prosperity. Almost every aspect of the pomegranate has come to symbolize something . . . its shape, color, seeds, juice.

For instance the pomegranate is often seen in paintings and statues of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus as a symbol of resurrection and everlasting life.


Then I realized that, while drinking the juice often, I had never seen the inside of a pomegranate (yeah, I know...). So when I started to paint the actual pomegranate I used a "live model".

Little Angel and the Pomegranates (2015)
30" x 40"
Acrylics on Canvas
SOLD

I painted a little girl (a little angel) on a swing carried by Pomegranates with an open fruit next to her. I wanted to incorporate as much as the symbolism as possible without limiting myself to one meaning. True, my little angel has no wings but my mother would call me a little angel - when I was a little girl - in a more 
sarcastic way... so no wings.


At the gallery each interpretation piece was next to the Dali of the artists' choice and, I must admit, I was a little nervous to hang side by side with Dali.

The opening at MAC Fine Art in Fort Lauderdale was a success: The Little Angel sold!!

This and 32 more interpretations can be seen at MAC Fine Art in Fort Lauderdale until August 15. Show was put together and curated by Rochi Llaneza.

Little Super Heroes

I have been working hard and I am pretty pleased with the result. 

First good news: I did 3 collaborations (each piece with another artist) and 2 have been chosen to be shown at Spectrum with "Art is Life" during Art Basel.... do I will not show you these yet.. come to Miami in December. Also the Girl with the Robot Dog was selected, so imagine the enormous smile on my face when I heard this.

After finishing the above collaboration, I did a collaboration with a local artist called Registered Artist for his solo show "With a little help of my friends". All the pieces in the show are - yes you guessed it - collaborations between him and another artist. We made a piece titled "Little Big Batman".

Little Big Batman
20" x 20"
Mixed Media

Then I was invited to participate in a pop-up show (yes, the one you set-up, show and break-down in one day) in Downtown Miami and liking my little batman as much as I did, I decided to make two more super heroes.

Little Captain America
14" x 18"
Acrylics on Boxed Birch Wood

Little Super Girl
18" x 14"
Acrylics on Boxed Birch Wood

Finally I also painted a little piece for that same pop-up which was sold within hours after hanging... and let me tell you it is a great feeling to see someone look at your work and falling in love with it.

The Little Girl with the Curly Hair
9" x 12"
Acrylics on 300 Lbs Cold Pressed Water Color Paper

And I a back in the studio.. working on new pieces... perhaps more super heroes... soon you will know.

One left the studio and a new one is finished.

The Girl with the Big Pearl Ear Ring (detail)

With mixed feelings I saw "The Girl with the Big Pearl Ear Ring" leave the studio to go to her new home. Mixed feelings because - even though I know she is at a very good place now - I will miss her on the wall in my studio.

And life goes on... and I finished my rendition of Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with the Ermine" which I named "The Girl with the Robot Dog". 
And I started a new rendition but this time one of Goya's masterpieces, but all that lace... so beautiful... and also so much work...
 

The Girl with the Robot Dog (2014)
30" x 40"
Acrylics on Canvas

At the same time I am working on multiple collaborations with several different artists, including a street artist, a I-photographer (yes, with the I-phone), a fine artist, and a poet. These collaborations places my work outside my usual scope and it is refreshing to see how each one of us is able to make a magic combination. I m loving this!
I cannot show you anything yet, as we keep our pieces hidden until it is shown. 

Little M 24
(aka "Uhm... it is not working...")
6" x 8"
Acrylics on Birch Wood

I also made another Little M. A little Rambo this time and this one is in show at the Trespass Gallery in Clarksville, Tennessee. I also started sketching a new Little M and that is a commission for a little girl.

So, all and all, there is no such thing as a quiet summer at my studio... because the summer is to get ready for the Miami Downtown Art Days in September and Art Basel in December.

The Art Walk

Every first Friday of the month we have something called the Downtown Miami Art Walk, where almost all the artists in the downtown area have their studios open for everybody and all. For me personally that means that I need to "nice up" up my studio and turn it partially into a gallery so I can present my work in a professional way. 

Once every so many months I even fill the holes and repaint the walls, so everything looks fresh and nice again. Of course I only do this in a month when I do not have many obligations and deadlines. Then we (me and the 2 other artists) prepare the rest of the floor: besides 3 studio spaces, there are 2 gallery spaces, the bar, the hallway and the bathrooms.... and you probably guess it, no more time to work on a painting. 

We made it a rule on our floor that if we do not have an opening, we do not serve alcohol. The Art Walk for us artists means that we work. We present our art, we talk art with the visitors, and of course we hope that we will be able to sell work or at least have a potential buyer come back on another day.

Last Friday was a very nice Art Walk for me as I talked to a lot of new people who showed real interest in my work and I sold 3 pieces of art. 

And when a buyer is so happy to have bought your work that he wants to show that to the world, that makes it even better!!

2 gone and 1 commission

Just another Friday... I received a message of a brand new facebook friend who asked me if it was ok to come to my studio and see my work this Friday. 
Of course it is... I actually love that - seeing people outside the Art Walks because it is much more relaxed. 

I was painting when he and his partner walked in, they looked around and we started talking... and soon enough it became clear to me that they were collectors and owning a gallery. They contacted me because of a very dear friend of mine (and major fan of my work) who recommended me to them... So there I am wrapping my head around it - because I actually didn't see that coming at all - and in the meanwhile they start happily shopping among my pieces.

The result is: 2 pieces sold, 1 commission and possibly a contract for shows in the Middle East.

Little M 11
aka Little Charlie
6" x 8"
Acrylics on Birch Wood

Little Andy with  Bananas
9" x 12"
Acrylics and Resin Coating on Italian Poplar Wood Panel

What can I say other than... Just another Friday but a pretty AMAZING one.

End of 2013

In my last show of the year I saw my name in lights!!!

In the last week of 2013 I started and finished the first of a mini series of MINIONS!

Yes, on the very last possible Sunday of 2013 this online Magazine writes about my very first Art Walk in Miami in 2014!

dominicanaenmiami.com - Monique Lassooij expondrá en el primer Downtown Walk de 2014


Now that is kicking ass!!!! :)

DIGITAL MIAMI for ART BASEL

I am really excited about the exposition Digital Miami, where I have two large paintings with my children and referring to works by 2 Dutch Masters.


Join us on Tuesday 3 and please RSVP:
http://siqueiros.com/digital-miami/

Honorable Mention

I participated in the Annual Juried International Competition by Irresversible Magazine and I won a Honorable Mention!!!!

All the winners are showing their pieces at Gallery 2014 in Hollywood, Florida and the artists are from all over the world. 

To put the cherry on the cake: all my 6 pieces showing are already pre-sold!! 

So yes, I am glowing and smiling...

MUGSHOT.... and then some...

 

What do you do when you get into the studio as an artist and you bring your new mugs with you.. Not just any mugs, but mugs with your artwork on it. Simple, you get 2 other artists and have one take a MUGSHOT.

And today I am the Featured Artist on The Artistic Blog.

Yes... I am having a great day!!

SOLD before the paint was dry...

Janis Joplin was the last addition to the series "Proprietary Innocence" I had finished on the day of the Downtown Miami Art Walk... Carefully I framed it... not even coated with resin because that would take at least 3 days to dry and I wanted to show "Little Janis". 

6 PM: my studio is ready, I am ready and Janis is ready... 
6:05 PM: A nice lady walks in, tells me she is a fan of my work and that she read on my Facebook Page that I was painting "Little Janis". Then she took a good look at Janis, asked the price and said:
"Sticker it, it is mine!"

These are the best starts of an Art Walk!!

Artist Profile - in Soul of Miami.

Sometimes life can take a strange turn, surprises come on your path and sometimes they are great. Just like the other day when I was asked if  "they" could do a profile on me. Now I do know the people of the Soul of Miami and I love what they are doing, so I didn't think twice and said yes!!

and this is the result of me agreeing:

http://www.soulofmiami.org/2013/07/29/local-artist-profiles-monique-lassooij-2/

And if you could see my smile now... I think I will keep it for a while.

I was also busy working on some new additions to the series "Proprietary Innocence" and here are some of my new paintings :

 Little Mona

11" x 14"

Acrylics and Resin on Italian Gesso Panel

Little Jimi

11" x 14"

Acrylics and Resin on Italian Gesso Panel

Little Frida

8" x 10"

Acrylics and Resin on Italian Gesso Panel

And I just started to paint Little Janis Joplin  and sketched Little Kurt Cobain... yes, more to come...

DOGS ... Nine, Ten, Eleven....

After the 2 plates that I made for "Art That Feeds" I wanted to paint the little French Bulldog one more time and also two small commissioned pieces 

 

 

 

The French Bulldog

12" x 12"

Acrylics and Permanent Marker on Canvas

 

 

Pom Pop (Commission)

10" x 10"

Acrylics and Permanent Marker on Canvas

 

 

The Boston Terrier

12" x 12"

Acrylics and Permanent Marker on Canvas

 

 

And now I will start another commissioned piece which will be a Cairn Terrier named Joda.

DOGS.... Eight

 

"Ready!!" 

24" x 24"

Acrylics and Permanent Marker (Orange)

on Canvas

Here is Dog number 8 from the "DOGS" series. I aimed to capture the readiness of this little Fox Terrier. 

Young or old, this breed is ready for anything... full of life and spirit.

Disturbed Children

Little VvG (aka Little Vincent van Gogh)
3.5" x 5" on wood floor sample
Acrylics, Ink, Color pencil and Epoxy Resin Coating

 Since several weeks I have been participating in "Miami Free Art Fridays" (click here to see more on Facebook). Basically artists are giving away (yes for real) samples of their art on Friday. They leave clues on Facebook where they have left the piece(s). All the lucky finder has to do is find it, take a picture of themselves with the piece and put that on Facebook. 

It is great fun for both the artists as the "collector" and I know it because I also found work and now am the proud owner of one of Derek Wilson's pieces.

Two weeks ago I put Little VvG out in the streets of Downtown Miami but my clues were too easy for some and it was found in minutes...
But then people contacted me on Facebook and I received 2 commissions out of this little sample (one for a larger sized VvG and one for a Dali portrait in this style).

So this week, I will make it harder (but not impossible) for people to find my latest contribution: "Little Pretty, Pretty Flower" 

Little Pretty, Pretty Flower
3.5" x 5" on wood floor sample
Acrylics, Ink, Color pencil and Epoxy Resin Coating

 

 

And then I also finished my "Grumpy Lisa" and this little girl is for sale.

Grumpy Lisa
6" x 8" on Italian Gesso BoardAcrylics, Ink, Color Pencil

 

ITTY BITTY KITTY SHOW

Last night ( February 18, 2013) was the official opening of the online cat-related art show ITTY BITTY KITTY SHOW, featuring more than 50 works by 23 painters, illustrators, photographers and sculptors.

Itty Bitty Kitty Show curators Lil Red Buttons and PBJ

This show is put together by 2 Feline curators aka Lil Red Buttons and PBJ. They were assisted by Colleen Dougher who is the author of Arterpillar: a blog about South Florida art and the people who create it.

Click HERE and enjoy the show...

Back to work...

After being idiotic busy with other things I am getting back on track by continuing existing projects and starting new ones. I am really excited about the Sincerity Project 2013 - curated by Jill Slaughter - in an effort to call attention to kids that age out of the Foster Care System at the age of 18.

As the Sincerity Project has "HOME" as its theme this year, a temporary house will be build at Gallery 18 in Pembroke Pines with 20 panels of 4' x 8' as it walls. Artist were asked to create an artwork on one of these panels which relates to the theme of this year or to aging out. The panels will be auctioned at the openings reception on June 7th. And I am honored to be one of the artists invited to create his/her vision on such a panel.

Having no real clue what 4' x 8' looks like, I went to Home Depot to check a panel of this size.... I imagine it was probably one of the first times anybody was laughing at wooden panels, as I did when I saw it: it's biiig.

Anyway... started to write down some ideas for the panel... made some rough sketches... and then last week the actual panel was delivered... and it came with a hole!!!

Panel after 1 sanding and 1 coat of gesso

I had a window panel and I knew that I had to literally throw all my ideas "out of the window" - every pun intended - because my initial ideas were for a horizontal piece and obviously one without a window. But after a hour or so staring at the panel - did I tell you it is biiig - new ideas started to bubble up inside me... and I went from OMG to Oh YEAH!!

And in the meantime I started and finished a super small painting, because you need to keep some sort of balance, on a 3.5" x 5" wood floor sample. It is one of my disturbed children, only less disturbed and it is called "Little Heat".

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

Happy Holidays

Until we meet again in 2013!!!!

Art Basel @ The Station

I wanted it to keep it quiet this year with Basel... Just going 3 days to as many venues, shows and what not as possible. Just be the viewer and participating, and then a friend called and said.. We are going to do a POP-UP at The Station... are you in??? (pop-up is a one night show and I love those..in..show..out).

and I said yes.... (of course) immediately I felt the Basel-fever take over: re-worked 3 smaller (12" x 12") pieces for this show... let everybody know... tomorrow I will check out the venue... is there anything I forgot... yup... Art Basel Fever (and it feels good)...

"Found it !"

"Pretty, pretty flower"

"Zip it !"