Newsletters

“There is no justice among men.” -Tsar Nicholas ll Romanov Family Martyrs, 11”x18”, Watercolor on WC Paper, 2024. ☦️👨🏼‍🎨 +Crucible, definition: A situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new. "Their relationship was forged in the crucible of war.” - Oxford Language Dictionary, 2025. +++ This […]

This month I returned to watercolors, and was excited to explore the loose style of expressiveness and freedom of sketch that the medium affords. This is a nice “crop rotation” trick that keeps my art fresh and keeps me always exploring as an artist. It’s nice way to keep open to creative surprises, as well. […]

⭐️This portrait of Maria was started in mid June, and completed mid July, 2024. I was looking at a lot of Russian watercolors and found the color saturation quite appealing for Maria’s lovely skin tones and hair, not to mention her brilliant hydrangeas in the background. A different approach, for sure, but one I am […]

Greetings everyone! Happy Father’s Day! This month, I am working on a very special portrait of a very special someone who is no doubt blushing red while she reads this presently, my lovely and beautiful Maria. 😊 I returned to a dry medium, so this portrait is colored pencil on drawing paper and only about […]

Warmest Greetings.   I hope this missive finds you in good health and fine spirits. We are certainly having beautiful weather for it. This month, I switched it up a bit, and tackled a landscape commission for a friend. The work was based on a photograph from Costa Rica, a volcanic site entitled, “Volcano Arenal.” […]

Warmest Greetings!   This month’s work caused me to reflect deeply on the nature of portraiture, and what it means to make a good portrait painting (or drawing). #1 on the list of definitions of effective portraiture would be an intimate, non-staged moment captured in a dynamic, interesting way. I suppose there are many but […]

Καλό Μήνα, everyone! Thank you for checking out another Artist Newsletter update! Greetings! ✍🏻 Good afternoon and a wonderful month of March to you! Beware the Ides of March..? 👀 Well, as winter winds down and the threat of snow fades, it’s wonderful to look forward to more daylight, and maybe even some spring weather! […]

Καλό Μήνα, everyone! Thank you for checking out another Artist Newsletter update, the first of 2024! I pray this missive finds you in good health, high spirits, and the wonderful frame of mind which accompanied such a state.😊🙏🏻 (Perhaps I’ve explained this previously...”Καλό Μήνα» means, “A good month to you,” in Greek. This is a […]

Kalo Mnva! (“Happy Month”) of December to Everyone! Hello and good evening! I trust everyone had a great Thanksgiving and is enjoying the Holidays! (We should try to enjoy them, at any rate..!) November saw much progress with the Romanov Family Portraits. I have completed 4 of the 7 family members in watercolor and Im […]

Kalo Mnva, everyone! (That means, “A Good Month to You,” in Greek)! The month of September saw a finishing of Elder Ephraim portrait of Mt. Athos & Arizona completed. The Elder is someone who did a lot for Orthodoxy in the United States, establishing several monasteries. This portrait was completed in watercolor. Next, I tackled […]