One of my favorite artists also happens to be a favorite friend: Kevin Bruce. A pillar of Albany’s artistic community, Kevin is one of the most entertaining and supportive artists in the Capital Region, happily contributing work and time and energy to many causes and events over the years. I first wrote about him in this post, and a few years later he was named Dazzler of the Day because a more worthy person of that dazzling moniker simply doesn’t exist.
His work is whimsical and witty, imbued with knowing winks and nods, and laced with deeper meanings and layers of innuendo. There are cheeky, sexier aspects present too, coupled with humor and offset with innocent exuberance. A fantasy, a flight, a defiance of rules and boundaries – all in the name of artistic freedom and release. Bruce finds the wonder of a moment, then bends and transforms it into something magical, plucked from the realm of imagination and make-believe then made into gorgeous scenes that suddenly feel like possibility incarnate.
By grounding his subjects in everyday, relatable situations (one of my favorite works of his is a masterful depiction of the crowd at the downtown Albany Dunkin’ Donuts) he is able to employ more fanciful elements in the outfits and actions depicted. His alter-ego Whiskey Sour saw us through those first few tumultuous home-ridden months of the pandemic, doing what she always did best in the form of madcap entertainment and indomitable enthusiasm. We need more of that kind of spirit in the world, and I’m happy that Kevin Bruce is here to provide it through his artwork and in his inspirational existence.
{Check out his FaceBook page here, where he regularly posts pics of his work. It’s a joyful addition to the otherwise-drab social media landscape.}
“If in my youth I had realized that the sustaining splendour of beauty of with which I was in love would one day flood back into my heart, there to ignite a flame that would torture me without end, how gladly would I have put out the light in my eyes.” ~ Michelangelo
Mythology is rife with imaginative portraits of humans whose quest for glory leads them to dire ends – Icarus, Narcissus and Prometheus come to mind. There are also Biblical stories where humans’ ingenuity and intelligence sparks an unexpected triumph, such as in David and Goliath. (Figures that sort of hubris would come from the Bible. Are we deities or not? Are we divine or merely human?) I’ve been happy to be merely mortal – a human with hubris, haughtiness, and hell sometimes in my heart – and I contain all the folly that every human has contained since we were created. That means I’ve had the vanity and self-deception to assume that a personal blog could become a work of art.
“If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” ~ Michelangelo
Making a blog into a work of art is perhaps a silly notion. When I consider the great works of art that have survived the centuries, a blog is unlikely to ever be counted as one of them. To that end, I have failed miserably, and will continue to fail in that quest. Making myself into a living work of art is also a ridiculous endeavor. I will fail at that too.
Yet in the effort, I hope you will find some shred of nobility. In the trying, may you see the striving. In the attempt, may you find the hope. If Icarus never fell, how would we know we could fly? If Prometheus hadn’t dared to capture fire, how would we learn to burn? If David hadn’t stepped forward to face Goliath, how would we muster the nerve to try?
“Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it. ” ~ Michelangelo
For all of the twenty years this website has been in existence, I have striven to find myself – the man I truly was, the one beneath all of the fluster and bluster. Chipping away at our own thick stone to reveal the tender interior is not only the province of sculptors and artists, but the quest of every human being remotely interested in getting to know themselves. In certain ways, that is the purpose of life. Some may call it vanity, some may call it self-obsession, some might deride it as ego – and all of those play their necessary part – but only when we discover and know ourselves can we look into the soul of another human and possibly hope to see what is truly there.
“The promises of this world are, for the most part, vain phantoms; and to confide in one’s self, and become something of worth and value is the best and safest course.” ~ Michelangelo
Admittedly, I am no David. Nor am I Goliath, or Prometheus, or Icarus. Far too afraid for far too often to be any of those characters, and far too flawed to have achieved what they did in spite of their folly, I’m only beginning to learn to be comfortable in my own skin. Such a lesson takes longer than twenty years, and the few things I know now at 47 wouldn’t have been dreamed or designed when I was 27. That’s why I’m still doing this. There is so much more to know. The two decades encapsulated on this website are the merest wisp of my life. You think I’ve revealed everything? You haven’t seen anything. We’re just getting started.
“To know each other is the best way to understand each other. To understand each other is the only way to love each other.” ~ Michelangelo
Having been an admirer of his artwork for years – decades, actually – it gives me supreme pleasure to crown Brenden Sanborn as this Dazzler of the Day. His watercolor work hangs lovingly around the world, and his focus on the male form has garnered him worthy admiration from the usual, and sometimes unexpected, subjects. Beauty transcends labels and genres, and Sanborn’s work stands as testament to the enduring power and appeal of his skills and talent, rather than any specific subject matter. Does it help that he has an eye for taking his subjects and transforming them into something almost always greater than the sum of their parts? Absolutely – and that’s part of his magic. He can take a simple everyday scene and turn it into a moment of transfixing grace through an intricate dance of shadow and light, masterfully guiding a series of deft strokes delivered with delicate acumen. Visit his website here for all that’s in the works, peruse the gorgeous collection he has for sale, and then check out his YouTube page for a glimpse into how it all happens.
“When you are young, there are many things which appear dull and lifeless. But as you get older, you will find these are the very things that are most important to you.” ~ Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World
The works of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai are some of the most famous art pieces in the world, especially his renditions of Mount Fuji and all those glorious waves. Hokusai has also painted a number of snow-themed works, to which I often turn at this time of the year, trying to find beauty in the predicament that is winter in upstate New York. I’ll curl up in a cozy corner of the conversation couch, backed by the light from the front window, and delve into my art books, slowly turning the pages and marveling at the work of a masterful artist, and the way it mirrors the wintry scene just beyond my reach.
“There is certainly a satisfaction and dignity to be gained in coming to terms with the mistakes one has made in the course of one’s life.” ~ Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World
The notion of the Floating World, where we find our worldly pleasures in and of the moment, is especially resonant in these winter months, when joy is fleeting and the ephemeral thrills slip way before they can be fully felt. I want to embrace winter, I want to inhale its smoky chill and inhabit its icy beauty, and I’m getting closer to achieving this. The love of such a trying season has been a long time coming, and it’s one that took some work and effort to approach. There aren’t many people I know who prefer the rigors of winter to the ease of summer, and those that do remind me that our world is a wonderfully varied and vibrant place, with people as different as night and day. How fortunate we are to be in such a world, for however brief a moment.
“A man who aspires to rise above the mediocre, to be something more than the ordinary, surely deserves admiration, even if he fails and loses a fortune on account of his ambitions… If one has failed only where others have not had the courage or will to try, there is consolation – indeed, deep satisfaction – to be gained from his observation when looking back over one’s life.” ~ Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World
Being in the middle of a cartoon threesome was, strangely enough, not on any of my bucket lists, but after gleefully discovering the artwork of Quentin Maxfield and being immortalized in one of his erotic scenes, it most certainly should have been. (This is also the closest I’ll get to becoming Jessica Rabbit, and I must take such thrills where I can get them.) The admittedly NSFW/18+only artwork is a glorious amalgamation of animation and real-life photographs, as Maxfield brilliantly combines the two in breathtaking fashion. Beginning with a photograph and wondrously weaving a sexy scenario around it in cartoon form, he creates a scene that elevates a real life pose into the realm of fantasy.
Maxfield’s work is a mash-up of erotic fusion and whimsy, grounded in a skillful rendering of light and shadows: his genius lies partly in his ability to match his additions to the photograph in lighting, tone, and texture, creating a seamless world where a real life image is augmented by animated figures in sexy, surreal style – a heightened landscape of erotic drama. Check out his Instagram and Twitter feeds for more NSFW artwork and scintillating evidence on why he has been named Dazzler of the Day. I can’t wait to see what he conjures next.
Isabella Stewart Gardner knows how to create an inviting environment, and as such she has been a muse of mine for years, having assembled a museum where she lived and shared beauty with the world. One of the sayings she was reportedly quite fond of using was ‘C’est mon plaisir’ – it’s my pleasure – which is surely one of the most pleasing things a person can say or hear. Whenever I thank anyone for something and they reply ‘My pleasure’ instead of ‘You’re welcome’ I instantly adore them all the more – it’s simply a lovelier response.
On this Friday the 13th, as Mercury continues wreaking its retrograde havoc, let us be as lovely as we can be to one another.
Artists always make the best people to profile for this feature, as they create what the rest of us find to inspire, challenge, and entertain. Case in point is this Dazzler of the Day, Greg Fox, who has kept many of us enthralled with the goings-on at his comic strip ‘Kyle’s Bed & Breakfast‘, originally published in 1998. Since then, the beguiling denizens he brings so gorgeously to life have found their way into blogs and books, and can be found at his website here. Greg joins the vaunted pantheon of artists such as Paul Richmond, Dave Woodman, Michael Breyette, and Joe Phillips who have recently been featured here. Bonus points for the way he rocks a kilt at all seasons of the year!
A three-and-a-half decade career as an artist is a formidable and impressive feat to accomplish – and to see it mid-stream is a thing of wonder and beauty and inspiration all at once. Joe Phillips has managed such a marvel thanks to his talent at turning life into a work of art. More than that, he turns his daily existence into the stuff of creative magic and fantastical conjurings, as evidenced by the elaborate costumes and wardrobe he creates when attending various parties and events. Today he earns the Dazzler of the Day crown for overcoming hardships and still making the world a more exciting and beautiful place. Witness a more detailed look into his work and career at his website here: http://www.joephillips.com.
While you may not know Dave Woodman by name or face, you certainly know him by his work. Woodman played an integral part in bringing ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and ‘Aladdin’ to life during his tenure at Walt Disney Feature Animation. Widely and wisely credited as the triumvirate that formed yet another golden-age of animation, those three films stand as testament to a fertile and magnificent creative cycle of which Woodman was a pillar. Since then, his passion for his artwork has not waned, and seeing his work on social media is a joy when so much of social media has turned sour – for that alone he earns this Dazzler of the Day.
Far too often, our greatest living artists are under-appreciated and under-celebrated before their work is assessed by the judgment of time, and it’s one of the saddest things we can do to anyone. Giddily bucking that trend is the celebrated and admired work of Paul Richmond, whose commitment to his art is matched only by his commitment to making the world a better and more inclusive and welcoming place. Way back in a time when you could actually make out my abs, Paul once created this witty and whimsical take on a famous tanning ad and was good enough to make me one of his Cheesecake Boys. Since then (and long before to be honest) I’ve been a die-hard fan of his work – and of his relentless quest to turn around all the negativity of the word into something positive.
Today he is named Dazzler of the Day because he is one of our greatest artists at the height of his talent and career, still making his way in a world that doesn’t always appreciate art and social justice – but for those of us who do, Paul is a gift and an inspiration that keeps us going in the dark times. Check out his website for all his upcoming endeavors (and join in some of his drawing workshops – perhaps the best thing about Paul and his work is his willingness to bring everyone along for the ride, encouraging all artists of all abilities to simply enjoy and try out all art forms).
While my favorite books remain ‘The God in Flight’ by Laura Argiri and ‘The Great Gatsby‘ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the inspirational work that has most informed my creative output in projects and how I present my artistic work to the world is easily Madonna’s infamous ‘Sex’ tome. Flashy and trashy, cheeky and freaky, low-brow and big-wow – ‘Sex’ was salacious, sultry, seductive, silly, and scintillating in all the best ways.
The promotional roll-out was christened by a topless runway walk at a Jean Paul Gautier fashion show by the Mistress of Ceremonies herself, and as Madonna as Dita smiled a golden-tooth-accented smile she sent the entire world into salivating anticipation for a book. That the woman who had made the art of the music video into a vaunted exercise in cinematic glory would put forth a book of sexual fantasies was a novel idea in many ways, starting with its metallic covers and spiral binding, and ending with its ridiculous comic book coda. In-between the aluminum was Madonna in all states of undress and erotic scenarios. As she had done for all her career, she was playing a part, or a series of roles, in an artistic expression on a theme – that the theme was sex heightened the allure and controversy, and the way she executed this mass-seduction of the world’s attention was a master-class in provocation to get one’s point across. As we moved into the digital age, it would become increasingly difficult to make such an imprint and impression on such a grand scale, but the lesson had already been learned.
Accompanying the ‘Sex’ book was the ‘Erotica’ album – and while ‘Sex’ may have brought about all the bombast, it was ‘Erotica’ that made the sounds that mattered. A work of edgy brilliance that remains a provocative slice of 90’s vibes, the album was strangely maligned by some, and recognized by others as the genius stroke of art-pop that it was. In anticipation of tomorrow’s 30th anniversary of this extraordinary period in Madonna’s legendary career, and a blog post that is slightly more somber and serious than the topic at hand might otherwise demand, here’s the track-listing of the ‘Erotica’ album and the Madonna Timeline entries that have been written thus far.
What he has in store for the recital this Friday is anyone’s guess, but it looks to be his usual groundbreaking stuff – an amalgamation of music and images where gorgeous melodies reckon with modern-day technology, and the push and pull of darkness seeks out redemption or damnation, and the only way out is to go through each pulsating beat, letting it reverberate through the body and mind. Watching Abramo at work is like seeing a wizard at the height of his powers – it’s raw, wild, occasionally unnerving, and absolutely mesmerizing of sight and sound. Check out his recital this Friday if you get a chance.
His website is a glorious repository for his work, and it offers behind-the-scenes explanations of his art and its progress – a fascinating peek into the life of a working artist. Too many people, artists especially, don’t get appreciated or honored as much as they deserve in their lifetime – may this little Dazzler go some way toward recognizing the beauty and wonder that Breyette consistently gives to the world.
Artist, designer and illustrator Will Bryant channels the exuberance and spirit of the very best pop inspirations to earn this Dazzler of the Day post. With a Masters of Fine Arts from Portland State University, Bryant uses his talent and skill to embody the dreams of his clients, while honing his own drawing, printmaking, painting and sculpture work. Visit his enchanting website here.
Starring and directing in anything is a feat of majesty, purpose, and grace when well-executed, and in the case of the music video for Karel Barnoski’s ‘November Moon’ Summer Shapiro executes both tasks in magnificent form. She earns her first Dazzler of the Day feature thanks to the precision of her vision, and the hints at physical dexterity and skill that inform her other artistic work as dancer and comedienne. The powerful ‘November Moon’ marks a return to this avenue of craft after a few years away, and it’s a stunning sort of re-birth, more phoenix than butterfly, as one gets the sense that she’s taking fiery flight after burning up the ashes of learning to let go. Visit her exquisite website here.
