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!

Update on "Who's fooling Who?"

Together (an interpretation of a peaceful moment) and Little Cat Girl

In my previous post I wrote about the show "Who's fooling who?" curated by Jill Slaughter.

I was a little worried - stage fright if you want - if my work was up to par. Jill was selected the curator of the year 2014 by the New Miami Times and I know she pushes the artist with each of her shows.

We almost had a misunderstanding because I thought she meant that I was one of the artists in the main gallery with a part of a wall or one wall at best, but she choose me to be the artist with 3 walls in the main Gallery in Studio 18.  

Narrative by Jill Slaughter

Little Cat Girl (2015) - Little Captain America (2014) - Little Batman (2015)

Little Cat Girl 2015
24" x 20"
Acrylics on Boxed Wood

Now back in the studio and working on new pieces... for a new show.

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 on plates

I have just finished two plates for "Art that Feeds". This is a wonderful initiative by "Touching Miami with Love" who will use the sale of the plates to feed children in an area in Miami called Overtown. 

I have chosen to paint two little puppies (one on each plate) in the blue colours that remind me of Delfts Blue, with the lines that connect us.We all have memories of pets that are special to us. Even some that were not our own. The lines in my dog paintings and on these plates represent those connections and memories.

On May the 5th there will be a special afternoon filled with art, music and hopefully the puppies will be sold.

"Fox Terrier"

Acrylics and Permanent marker 

on Acrylic Plate

"French Bulldog"

Acrylics and Permanent marker 

on Acrylic Plate

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...

Happy Holidays

Until we meet again in 2013!!!!

Inspired by RED

A few weeks ago I received a phone call with the question "You do have some pieces in red, don't you?" I looked around my work space... while pretty much being covered in red paint as I just had finished my piece with the Dachshund. 

Long story short, after some pictures back and forth, and pieces in other shows, I decided to create a new piece - inspired by Red - for this exposition and 2 days ago I finished a cat close-up on 36" x 36" (90 x 90 cm). And today I took it over to the Gallery together with other pieces in red.

This Saturday the openings reception will take place at Mano Fine Art Project Space in the heart of Bird Road Art District in Miami.

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 !"

DOGS.... Seven

"Again!?"

22" x 16"

Acrylics and (orange) Marker

on 140 Lb Water Colour Paper

DOGS.... Six

"Really?"

24" x 24"

Acrylics and (Blue and Red) Marker on Canvas

I was once the proud owner of a dachshund and she used to look up to me like this.. 

How can anyone resist???

Dogs.... Five

"Wanna Play?"

24" x 24"

Acrylics and (orange) Marker on Canvas

A pug in Delft Blue colours... can I be more Dutch?

Face 2

 Face 2

24" x 24"

Acrylics and Marker on canvas

The second face in the series "FACES.

And here together with "FACE 1" and the smaller "Head Strong".

Dogs... Three

 

"Yawn"

18" x 24"

Acrylics and (blue & Red) Marker on 140 Lb Water Color Paper

I just had to paint this puppy.

Call for photos as material to paint

Face 1 (24" x 24" acrylics, ink on canvas)

I am working on a series of paintings of faces from the past. I am always looking on the internet for interesting faces to paint but sometimes I am not sure if I can use them or who to ask for permission.
I do not want to have any problem with copy rights once I have finished painting and I publish it on Facebook or on my blog or in a gallery.

Therefore I am asking everybody who sees this to help me. I am looking for photos of children / young people (not babies) from the past - from all over the world. Your grandmother / father, uncles, aunts, your parents when they were children. Not the usual smile for the camera kind of picture... but the cranky one, the pensive ones the ones with attitude.

Here are 2 examples of what Iam looking for but not limited to (these are pictures taken by Vivian Maier in New York - great pictures but copy righted)

It doesn't matter if it is in color or in black/white, nor the race or if the face is part of a group picture, or if the child is not a close-up (but not too far away either otherwise the close-up is too blurry). 

I am not looking for actual photos but scans / jpeg of photos so you can safely send it to my email without the risk of losing a picture. By sending your picture (jpeg) you will give me permission to use the material for my art project without the expection of any reward.

If I will use your picture I will contact you for more information and if you want I will send you a print (on photopaper) of the painting.

Please send your photo / picture / jpeg to molassooij@hotmail.com

Thank you!!!

A splash of back ground

I have been working hard at this painting.

After working for some time in blue I realized that the painting needed a splash of colour... literally a splash! So I prepped my painting, took it outside and....

Started splashing....

and some more....

Until I was satisfied with the result.

and after removing the cover from the painting....

This was the result.

But is it finished?   Noo and updates will follow...

Life in Orange

"Life in Orange"

Acrylics & Silver Leaf

6" x 18"