Blog Posts Tagged ‘Uncategorized’

All of us at the studio are excited about the new brochure that will be delivered to us this week. My approach to portraiture is always evolving, and I thought it was time to show some of the newest paintings and photographic images. Most of the portraits were made since we opened the new studio/gallery in Calabasas almost exactly a year ago. You can download the digital version of the brochure below, or if you would prefer a physical copy give us a call at 805.367.8100.

Download Brochure (PDF)

I couldn’t wait to post our newest painting of 5 year old Chelsea Darrow making a flower bouquet in a field by our studio. I love that we captured something that really shows who Chelsea is and what she really loves to do.

What an incredible weekend it was in the Blue Ridge Mountains with some great friends. We encountered this scene on our drive back down the hill. It is so great to meet with this group of portrait painters every year. For reasons I still can’t quite explain, we call ourselves the Barking Cats. Notice the bobcat we coaxed into posing with us for our group photograph.

I’ve had the incredible opportunity to create portraits of some of the world’s top equestrian riders, including Ashley Bond, Will Simpson and Hannah Selleck, at some of the most beautiful stables I’ve even seen. I’m finding that the equestrian world is actually more of a way of life. There is a tremendous camaraderie among fun-loving, competitive people who don’t mind getting their boots a little muddy from time to time. What an amazing experience this has been! And the paintings are going to be incredible.

As our young Internet Guru Elliott would say, we are jazzed at the response we’ve had to our painted portraits.

December brought us more painting orders than we could have ever hoped for! The paintings are actually made as a collaborative effort between April and me. I do the initial camera study, establishing the overall vision for the images, and April finishes them as paintings. Here’s a sneak preview of a few we’ve completed recently.

We did this portrait of the Jansen family just in time for the Wellness Community Holiday Home Tour that’s happening this weekend. Wow, what generosity on Mike and Doreen’s part! They gave over 500 people a chance to tour their beautiful home, which was all decked out (by Doreen) for the holidays.
April was at the Jansen home today, and she helped raise a lot of money when she sold every single one of our boxed gift certificates. Because they provide support to cancer patients and their families, Wellness is especially close to my heart. As many of you know, my own sister Marla lost her battle with ovarian cancer last year.
We’ll be back at the tour tomorrow. Be sure to come say hi.

Best wishes to all our friends and clients for an especially meaningful Thanksgiving this year. We appreciate each one of you.

When Lindy Yow came by the Costa Mesa gallery to pick up the portraits of her extended family, her first words were “They are perfect!” She was so excited to take them home for the holidays. Her parents were married 50 years ago in China after only knowing one another for one month. I loved seeing how all the children were so honoring to them. The portrait was the first of its kind ever created at the famous Huntington Library Chinese Gardens.

For a limited time, our new Masterpiece portraits will be featured at the Shops at Mission Viejo in Orange County. It’s always a tremendous pleasure for me to have a public exhibition like this one. This is the first exhibit that is entirely comprised of our new paintings, so I’m especially excited.

It’s a lot of fun for our clients to see their portraits on display where they can show them off to their friends. I’m especially grateful to Arcelia LaRue and her family, as well as Tidi Lambert (and her daughters), Marie Startz, Darla McCutheon, The Muir family and The Inuoye sisters, whose portraits are featured in the exhibit.

It was so great last week when Jami Johnson came to pick up her framed painting that began as a camera study of the boys at the Westlake Inn. We were so honored by what she said:

“How can we ever thank you enough for capturing our precious children the
way you did! We had nothing but the utmost confidence that you would do an outstanding
job. Your professionalism and passion for your work is so admirable.

This painting is a true masterpiece and we will cherish it for the rest of
our lives.

It was a great pleasure working with you.”
With love, Frank and Jami