This is one of my first paintings of this very handsome young man. He was raised in an artistic family and is a gifted jeweler who wears his craft with pride. I admire him for his display of his personal sexuality. I wish we could all be so loving and un-afraid.
On this model day, he arrived with turquoise painted finger and toenails. He selected the fabrics; his favorite color was the blue. I was delighted to paint him and am delighted to call him friend.
Eduardo met Marco, a music major at Northern Arizona University, at the Irish Pub in Flagstaff, AZ.
Eduardo convinced Marco that he should model for me and we met. Marco is an amazing vocalist and sings opera, plays the violin and speaks Italian and German. He modeled several times for me before he graduated and moved. I enjoyed my time visiting and painting this beautiful young man.
I started this painting in 1977 in Taos, NM where i was living at the time. It seems like such a long time ago, but I remember with vivid detail meeting Art.
I stopped him as he was riding his Harley in the alley behind the gallery where I showed my work. He had no issue with modeling. It was such a common faire thing in the artistic culture of Taos. Art was a stunning man, Handsome beyond description with a slender and muscular body, his look and dress very influenced by the popular culture of the moment. I only recently brought this painting out of hiding. I was delighted to visit it again. With a few changes I have reintroduced it to the market. It speaks of a moment in Time, when my generation was in love with life.
There are many downsides to working in a small studio, my biggest complaint is that it confines the posses that I can use for my models.
I am not a fast technician so I always have the models watching the computer or television so they are entertained while in position. Lying poses simply work the best for larger work. This charcoal was my under drawing turned into a finished drawing. I simply liked the way it progressed.
Daniel was raised in the agricultural business near Chicago. I met him by chance at a Sedona Film Festival event. He was dressed in character from one of the year’s top films as a shirtless victim of a gun shooting. He was a very handsome with a toned cute body and I could not resist, I asked him to model for me. I gave him some references and in a few days he called. After a morning shot of whisky, he was ready for his first nude model session. I did several sketches and took hundreds of photos, exploring his likes and dislikes of positions and finding his personality. He was unafraid of his sexuality, be it all disappointingly strait, possessing a fearless delight in the visual of his body. Daniel spent many days and hours in my studio and also shared the model stand with his girlfriend. In this painting “My Exhibitionist Friend” , Daniel chose this pose, open legged facing me, in a true exhibitionist gesture.
When I first met Eduardo, he had been to massage school and eager to try new experiences. I very much enjoyed our conversations about bones and anatomy. Eduardo was very much into his music at that time and playing guitar with a local band. He would entertain me with his newest tunes and stories of his latest love adventures.
