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...

Monique Lassooij Art - American Gothic Growing Up

Here a little animation that a good friend of mine in Holland did for me. 
And I am so happy with it!!!

Little Kurt Cobain... and so much more

After "Little Jimi" and "Little Janis" a "Little Kurt" could not be left out.And while painting this one, I learned so much about him, that I wondered how this genius had passed me by back in the 90's. 

At first I wanted to put the words "Come as you are" in the back ground but for some reason it didn't cover him enough.. so after long deliberation I decided to go for the Nirvana logo, even though he was way more than Nirvana. 

Little Kurt

11" x 14"

Acrylics and Resin Coating on

Italian gesso panel

And now back to paint more... 6 panels of 9" x 12" for the Art Fair in Mexico City and then starting with 2 canvasses of 55" x 46" for Art Basel. Oh, and also a small commission of 9" x 12" and a larger one of 16" x 20"... and somewhere in between I have to breath... I love my life!!!

Busy, busy... and it only gets more busy...

Yes, I have been busy but all my hard work is paying off... 

First I finished "Little Adam and Little Eve". I painted them just at the precise point where God is asking "What are you doing". Adam has just handed back the apple and tries to look like it has nothing to do with him.... If Adam could, he would have "unfriended" Eve on the spot. Eve knows she will get the blame and the snake is slithering away from the scene...

 Little Adam & Little Eve

2 x 9" x 12"

Acrylics and Resin Coating on Italian Gesso Panels

I am also starting to create 6 new panels (each 9" x 12") for the Art Fair in Mexico City in October 2013 and also will have to start to paint a few new panels for Art Basel as I am in one of the Satellite Show in the Intercontinental Hotel. 

And yesterday Miami Art Scene did a little write up about me and put it all over the social network/media... 

To see the write-up, click HERE.

As I said, I am busy... but in a very, very good way!!

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... twelve and the original

 This is the painting...

Joda

24" x 24"

Acrylics and Permanent Marker on Canvas

And here is the painting with the original Joda: a beautiful Cairn Terrier.

DOGS... and the real one

 

Pom Pop was a commission by a fellow artist who wanted to surprise a friend with a little DOG Art. He gave me 2 pictures to work with and I used it to create Pom Pop.

His friend was so happy with the painting that she send me this picture of the original Pom Chloe together with the art that she was the muse for...

I love receiving this kind of pictures...

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

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!!!!

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???

A painting in good company...

It makes me happy to see the new owner of one my pieces being happy with it. What makes me more happy if they send me a picture of that piece hanging on their wall... and adding their beloved pet to the picture:...PRICELESS!

Here is Luna with the painting "Pensive"

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.... Four

Meet Gilda a cute little "rescue" mix who belongs to a friend of mine.

I painted her on 18" x 24" water color paper (140 Lb)

with Acrylics and (pink and green) Marker.

Vote for Monique Lassooij

My partner, The Hitman, made a beautiful picture of me while I was painting.

And I am using this picture to represent me and my work at "Art takes Miami".

If you like my work, please give me your vote and click here on my name: Monique Lassooij

Dogs... Three

 

"Yawn"

18" x 24"

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

I just had to paint this puppy.

Dogs... Two

This is the second in the series of dog portraits:

"Crested"

30" x 40"

Acrylics and Marker on Canvas

A wonderful dog to paint. I was surprised how soft the "Naked" skin actually is.

Dogs... One

This is the first one in the series of portraits of dogs
"Pensive"
24" x 18"
Acrylics and (blue and orange) marker 
on 140 Lb water color paper

 A chihuahua mix and latin lover. 
He is a real heart thief with a gentle character.

Update: NOW in private collection.

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...