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Last night Royal & Langnickel launched their new line of high quality makeup brushes called [R]evolution. They did it in style at an immaculate venue, packed with beautiful/fun people, makeup demos, open bar, DJ, and to bring it all together live painting by yours truly, Pesu Art, and Vincent Minervini.
So this is how my painting went down… as usual no preconceived image…
Starting out with blue since I was overlooking the river and clouds.
Yellow next, soon followed by magenta. I start a lot of paintings with a nod to CMYK.
“Pure drawing is an abstraction.” – Paul Cézanne
At this point I decided I was going abstract and fed off the atmosphere, springtime, romance, and the tactility of some silky brushes.
Sabrina, AKA Miss New York Teen USA 2012, stopped by for a chat about painting and life. She is very sweet and ambitious. I’m sure we’ll see her again down the line. Rad dress!
Some deep green to alter the depth in the painting.
Build it up and block it out. Notice how some parts are covered and then later uncovered changing the original form ever so slightly.
The finished painting! Click image for larger image.
Pesu was set up near me and he takes a quick break for a photo.
Pesu’s final painting. A flower pleas for a [R]evolution! Check out more of his work and his charitable efforts. Nice meeting you, Pesu.
Heading to Las Vegas on Saturday with Borbay and Paul Zepeda to paint live for Broadway Bares. Stay tuned for 9 days of mega-painting-vegas madness that you can follow on twitter. (@AriLankin, @PaulZepeda, @Borbay)
The event was a lot of fun, and another big thank you to Jeremy Penn. Unfortunately he had to sit this one out and he graciously passed the brush to me. Looking forward to seeing his painting alongside Keith Haring on April 28th at Dorian Grey Gallery.
Let me quickly mention the setting last night was the ultra-modern event space at Apella, overlooking the East River. Not only was the space very cool, the staff was extremely friendly, and the food was amazing. The pork belly sliders were all the rage.
I can’t comment on the [R]evolution make-up brushes, but Royal & Langnickel sure knows how to make a fine art brush. I learned last night from people in the industry, with the [R]evolution line, Royal & Langnickel have finally made a line of make-up brushes that are made with the same quality and durability as fine art brushes.
We got asked back to Las Vegas by Broadway Bares to paint live for their event at Planet Hollywood.
Las Vegas Part 2: ReLoaded is official. Fellow artists Borbay and Paul Zepeda are joining in on the adventure. From April 15-23 we will be painting in the Las Vegas area starting off with the impetus for our trip a live painting at Planet Hollywood for the Broadway Bares charity. After that we will be painting at different locations. I have flexibility for two custom paintings. Commission a painting and secure a piece of history.
Want your own custom painting from Las Vegas? A favorite casino, The Welcome to Las Vegas Sign, Joshua Tree, Hoover Dam?… you decide what I paint and you own it forever. Contact me now to set this up, info@arilankin.com or 610-420-7752.
Or perhaps you would like a Borbay or a Zepeda? Contact them directly jason@borbay.com and paul_theartist@yahoo.com
Read about last years trip and see the paintings -
Borbay and Lankin do Vegas 2011.
Manhattan to Vegas: A Great Painting Adventure
It wasn’t a radical notion by any stretch of the imagination. Nine days in Vegas, painting live on the strip, an idea hatched by Borbay. Flying to a destination to paint raises the stakes. Time is limited, the conditions are unknown, and the unexpected will occur. This is a chronological portrait of Manhattan based artists Borbay and Ari Lankin’s whirlwind trip to paint the the American Dream of Las Vegas.
Borbay
Lankin
THE WELCOME SIGN, TO SKI WITH ELVIS?
After two mind-numbing hours of infomercials featuring the muscles formerly known as Carrot Top, we began our mission to paint Vegas with the one definite painting, the Welcome to Las Vegas Sign. We encountered menacing painting conditions of dry heat, blazing sun, and multidirectional dust filled wind.
Painting on location is a beautiful experience. It’s a race against time as the light is continually changing. Being anchored in one spot all day, often days, allows you to learn things about a foreign location that you don’t even know about the street you live on. The location becomes a living entity.
It took little time for us to enmesh ourselves with the tourists and local people that frequent this must-see destination. Colorful 4/20 weddings, a preggers chick with “Vegas Baby” painted to match the sign on her belly, a consortium of Elvis’ and conversations with a dope photographer by the name of Gilbert fueled us as we painted. A Twitter friend (seriously) — Jerry Shawback, showed up day one to ask if he could join us… “of course brotha.”
We liked Jerry’s company so we invited him to paint with us every day for the rest of the trip. We were an Artist Wolfpack, minus Galifianakis, but very much on par with the booze and cigarettes.
After finishing our first paintings we took our badly sunburnt calves and clay-dusted sneakers West into the neon sunset. A look that stuck with us for the entire trip. Being an artist is all about wearing clothing utility enough to paint in any condition, yet sophisto-seedy enough to access most Vegas venues. Borbay’s iconic dark shades and a faux leather blazer that screams, “look here, ignore the filthy shoes, skip the label, let us through”. Be ambiguously famous, authentic, and perhaps a bit dangerous. Fake that trust fund and rock with the DJ. This particular evening was boosted by a one-eyed-pirate trip to Absinthe at Caesar’s. Penny’s sock-puppet routine. See it. Trust. “6’O’Clock bitch!” Pre-game with Dom Pong for $400.
Lankin
Borbay
THREE NEW STREET CREATURES ON FREMONT
Canvas number two belonged to what is alternatively referred to as “The Real Vegas” aka “Stabsville USA” — Fremont Street, the uncovered portion. We decided on the storied El Cortez Hotel, “Where Locals Come to Play, and the slots still have coins”. Locals indeed.
After a few hours a security guard was surprised that we were still out there. We asked “Why, because of the heat?” he replied, “No, because the locals haven’t taken your stuff.” We made good with the mostly friendly locals, and had many repeat visitors, and the (un)usual school of critics. Comments ranged from: “Dope, I gotta blunt up with you,” “ohhh, beautiful,” “I don’t get it,” “you suck bro,” Of course, “how much? Where can I wire the money…” is preferred. Adaptation and a flexible personality are crucial to survive painting on the street.
It feels normal after two days of complete immersion on the streets to hear a woman shout: “Yo motha fucka, I just got outta Vegas Psych, and you can suck my dick bitch, oh look, artists!”
On Easter Sunday an elderly gentleman who was immaculately dressed and had a swaggerly disposition walked by and said, “those paintings are good, and I should know, I’m a millionaire.” So that’s the secret to being a good art critic.
“Was that Jackie Gaughan?” Borbay wondered out loud. It was a good question.
The El Cortez Hotel is permanently etched in our brain.
BROADWAY BARES, ONE HOLLY MADISON
Back at the sign on day one, Ari met Sheila Joy “a very hot, very talented, very cool” blonde Cris Angel dancer. After getting her “I <3 NV” painted tattoo from Ari, Sheila suggested we attend a charity event called Broadway Bares at Planet Hollywood she was choreographing and performing in. Even better, we offered our painting services. The next day we received a call from organizer and performer Paula Caselton of Broadway Bares who saw our work online and wanted us to join the show.
24 hours later it started with a viewing of Peepshow at the CHI Showroom. A lot of classy T&A and great dancing whipped up a new level of Vegas inspiration. After midnight in the same theater we sipped a double and started slinging paint. We hovered in the dual realm of painter and live performer for the duration of the show. Holly Madison introduced us halfway through the 75 minutes to cheers from the anticipating crowd. The paintings were auctioned off minutes after the show for Broadway Bares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Borbay
Lankin
THE SAHARA IS CLOSING?
Capture a slice of classic Vegas before it’s gone we thought. Once home to TV legend Dean Martin, now their claim to fame is a “six pound burrito (As Seen on TV), the size of a child, literally.” Tempting, but we passed.
A cool but unwavering bike security guard gave us the boot from the edge of the casino property three hours into our paintings. Things went from bad to worse after we crossed the street to join the hollering lunatic screaming “I want reparations and hot dogs you dirty pigs!” We had to change compositions and about an hour in, our easels blew over — violently. Being a street artist is never simple.
Lankin
Borbay
THE LUXOR, SEEN FROM SPACE, NO WIRELESS
The Luxor can shoot a light beam into space, yet they have no Wi-Fi. Regardless, for our last painting we set-up on Vegas BLVD, with a cooler of Tecate, and set our sites on a late 1990’s addition to the Vegas skyline straight out of popcorn flick: The Mummy. Remember Brendan Frasier?
Thank you Las Vegas we couldn’t have done it without you.
Borbay (www.borbay.com) and Ari Lankin (www.arilankin.com) are professional artists from Manhattan. They travel the world, painting on location, and share their adventures along the way through Twitter (@Borbay) and (@AriLankin). Check #vegaslive for the feed from when they were on the trip.
Stay tuned for more information and follow along on my Facebook Artist Page and Twitter.
This post is brought to you by Borbay via Borbay.com
AUCTION NOW LIVE
New York, NY – July 21, 2011 — On Sunday, June 19th, Broadway Bares put on two exceptional(ly titillating) shows at the Roseland Ballroom, which raised (to date) a record breaking $1,103,072.00 for Equity Fights AIDS. Six paintings were created that night and are up for auction, are you ready to get your acquisition on?
Full disclosure, I didn’t strip down while painting (mostly to protect the fine patrons of the show(s)), I did, however, recap our evening at the Roseland Ballroom, as well as Broadway Bares, Las Vegas. If you have any questions about the works, don’t be shy.
Read Ari Lankin’s recap of Broadway Bares: 21 in NYC, as well as Broadway Bares: 2 Hot from Las Vegas.
Get some (art), after the jump.
On Fathers day 2011 Borbay and I painted during two Broadway Bares shows at Roseland Ballroom.
The resulting four paintings are now being auctioned with all proceeds supporting Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids.
You can bid now, the auction ends July 27th. Remember all proceeds go to support the foundation.
Ari Lankin:
Lankin Painting From First Show
Lankin Painting From Second Show
Borbay:
Borbay Painting From First Show
Borbay Painting From Second Show
The addition of live painting fit perfectly. The show was called Masterpiece and had many great art historical references.
Broadway Bares proves once again that art is the sexiest thing in New York: looking at it, making it, talking about it, making love to it.
Let me take you there…
Two sold out back to back shows = early que. Shot outside of Roseland as I arrive two hours before the first show.
Borbay and I meet up for a quick picture as we wait for the first show to start.
Getting a little more excited as the doors open for the first show. We flipped a coin to see who would start at which vantage point. The two vantage points were very different. In this picture you can see a tiny Borbay setting up in the corner on the mezzanine ledge across the venue from me. We decided to use the bigger canvas for the first painting. The consensus was it would be better to go hard right from the beginning.
A shot from my first vantage point, just left of the stage in the elevated VIP area. With some time to kill and a strong backlight showing through the canvas I decided to paint the canvas black. Right before the show we got hooked up with a clamp light. It’s a big help when you can see what you are painting.
No painting allowed until the show starts, but some valuable time is saved by laying out a preliminary palette. This palette was inspired by the energy in the building and the promise of exposed flesh. Amusing text messages were sent back and forth across the venue while waiting for the first show to start.
Borbay takes a shot of me mixing paint (center of the photo) before the beginning of the first show.
A finished shot of painting number one after an action packed 75 minute show. Really dynamic show full of dancing, witty dialogue, sexual overtones and a beautiful set, or maybe a few beautiful sets. In addition to the inspiring show, I would like to thank the group of loving patrons that cheered me on, and the friendly barista for quenching my thirst with unlimited adult beverages.
Painting number two. New location on the ledge of the mezzanine. Quite possibly the coolest place in Roseland to paint from. Not only was I floating high above from a perfect vantage point, I was directly under a giant air conditioner.
Feeling the sexual energy from the first show I focused my attention on recreating a scantily clad man, and one erotically outfitted woman. A rabid sold out crowd of over 3,000 rocked the house during the second show adding to the energy of my painting.
Borbay decides on a more architecturally anchored composition inspired by the set. Read his great recap here.
A very low lit photo right after the final curtain call. This painting has an expressive quality and a textured surface. The set was alive with references to major artists from 18th-20th centuries. The linear aspect of the background is referencing the mature work Piet Mondrian.
My hands after the second painting.
It’s been a pleasure supporting Broadway Cares. It’s an important cause with a wonderful group of people involved. Big thanks to Michael Graziano, Jerry Mitchell, Paula Caselton, and Sheila Buford.
Support a tremendous organization and bid on these special paintings.
You may remember in April we painted at the sister event in Las Vegas, Broadway Bares: 2 Hot.
LANKIN
Broadway Bares 21 #1 | acrylic on canvas | 14 x 28 inches | 2011 | Ari Lankin
Broadway Bares 21 #2 | acrylic on canvas | 15 x 11 inches | 2011 | Ari Lankin
BORBAY
Broadway Bares 21 #1 | acrylic on canvas | 14 x 28 inches | 2011 | Borbay
2011 Broadway Bares #2 NYC | acrylic on canvas | 15 x 11 inches | 2011 | Borbay
New York, NY – June 16th, 2011 — BROADWAY BARES XXI: MASTERPIECE will be held on Sunday, June 19th with two performances only – at 9:30 pm & Midnight – at Roseland Ballroom, 239 West 52nd Street in New York. A benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, BROADWAY BARES XXI: MASTERPIECE will offer up a modern-day burlesque show packed with Broadway stars baring their delicious human canvas. The show is directed by Josh Rhodes, and the executive producer is the legendary Jerry Mitchell.
The 21st annual Broadway Bares benefit features more than 200 dancers and actors on their night off from Broadway shows. Artist’s Ari Lankin and Borbay will paint impromptu works of art inspired by the show. While watching the performance for the first time, they will paint for the duration of the show, stopping when the final curtain drops. The resulting canvas’ will be auctioned off with all proceeds benefitting the foundation. Check back after the show for the finished painting and where you can bid.
Photo by Andrew Eccles.
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A steel and glass pyramid stands tall in Nevada. A beam of light shoots out from its apex. For our last painting we decided on the most recognizable hotel on the strip. Our home base for 9 nights, the Luxor Hotel and Casino. Old is new, and new is old, the space time continuum quivers.
Per my modus operandi, I zoned out listening to the same album on repeat. I listened to Mac Miller’s K.I.D.S. on repeat for the first 7 hours of this painting. You can download K.I.D.S. here for free. Mac Miller is a very talented 19-year-old rapper from Pittsburgh.
Let me take you through the development…
After deciding on a head-on composition I dove in with yellow.
Feeling out where to place the pyramid… a little more up and to the left, a little more, perfect. Framing the main subject with the obelisk on the right edge of the canvas. Now there are essentially two edges on the right side.
I decided to lay down gold for the sky and silver for the pyramid. Here comes magenta to create some depth in the image.
More color and more depth. It’s time to add the details now that the general composition is solidified. I put down a dark color for the pyramid, but decided to revert back to the silver.
An action shot with my subject in the background. Headphone in the right ear.
Starting to carve out the form of the sphinx by adding shadows and blue on the headdress.
Jerry Shawback painting hard in the trenches of a vacant hotel lot across the street from the Luxor.
Another action shot now turned directly towards The Luxor.
It was hot out there and apparently my pockets got a little steamy. I decided to put in the trees and was instantly happy with this executive decision. Time to darken the pyramid for real this time.
A quick visit to the other end of the block to say what’s up to Borbay. Check out his Luxor painting.
Dramatic silhoutte photo opportunity on the way back to my easel.
Is that beam of light from the top of the pyramid visible from space? Apparently. Let me note for the record, even with this scientific miracle we had no wi-fi access in our room.
Everything is solidifying quite nicely. A big jump at this time with: highlights and shadows on the trees, reflections on the pyramid, the monorail track, and details on the sphinx.
The blue sky brings out the sphinx’s eyes, and here comes the monorail in the lower left.
Old Is New and New Is Old, The Luxor | 20 x 20 inches | acrylic on canvas | 2011
Fin.
View my other Las Vegas paintings:
Welcome To Las Vegas Sign
Welcome to Las Vegas | 24 x 24 inches | acrylic on canvas | 2011.
The Sahara Hotel & Casino
End Of An Era, The Sahara | 20 x 20 inches | acrylic on canvas | 2011.
El Cortez Hotel & Casino
El Cortez Hotel, 600 Fremont St | 24 x 24 inches | acrylic on canvas | 2011.
Broadway Bare: 2 Hot, Live Painting
Bares Cares, acrylic and ribbon on canvas, 20 x 20 inches, 2011.
Check out this great time lapse video of Las Vegas that includes us painting, by Allan Gange.
I love helping a worthwhile cause and I love painting in front of an audience. On the night of the highly anticipated Broadway Bares: Las Vegas 2 Hot performance at Planet Hollywood, Borbay and I painted live in front of 1,000 people.
Here’s how we got involved…
I met Sheila at the sign back on day one. She and her friend Veronica came over to see what I was working on and then requested a painted tattoo. She was friendly so I gladly offered my skills. While I was finishing her “I <3 NV” tattoo Sheila invited us to Broadway Bares. A one night all-star charity event she was choreographing and performing in. Very cool. Even better, I offered our painting services. The next day we received a call from organizer and performer Paula Caselton. She saw our work online and wanted us to join the show.
The locals said it was beautiful, but warned us not to go a block past the uncovered part because it gets kind of sketchy. After walking up and down the street three times we decided on a view focused on the legendary El Cortez Hotel & Casino. It is precariously located two blocks passed the covered portion right on the edge of town. A peaceful Saturday morning on the streets, but this tranquility did not last for long.
We set up our easels across the street from the El Cortez. The security crew came out to ask us the normal questions. Their presence was appreciated on this one. We quickly saw why locals warned us. After eleven o’clock the characters began to emerge from the shadows. Unpredictability hung in the air. While I painted I had several impromptu Las Vegas history lessons involving The El Cortez. While i’m sure they weren’t as thorough and accurate as wikipedia, they were a lot more entertaining and peppered with personal accounts.
To set the scene on day 1: It was hot and dry. We had a cooler of ice. A street festival was starting a block away featuring a concert with the Kottonmouth Kings and Everlast. The line to get into the stage area took place behind us for about 45 minutes during the middle of the day. We watched many malt liquor drinks infused with caffeine get consumed. A general festive energy was in the air. The passersby were some of the most colorful people I have ever met. From our position the music was three hours of noise.
This is the birth of the El Cortez Hotel, 600 Fremont Street painting…
While checking my phone in the morning before leaving for Fremont I came across this photo of Prince from his concert the night before in Los Angeles. It reminded me of my studio in NYC where I have the Purple Rain record hanging on the wall.
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After 58 years the Las Vegas icon took its final bets today.
Two weeks ago we decided to paint The Sahara before it shut down.
Let’s celebrate with a recap…
Another dry sunny day in the desert. Great weather for never having to urinate while painting on location. It was particularly hot this morning. We set up on the edge of the property with a fence to our back supplying some welcomed shade.
I sit down for a moment to put on my leg protection.
We set up far away from casino operations. A security guard came out to see what we were doing and went on his way.
I decide on a bold composition that includes The Stratosphere. I block in the main forms with yellow. The proportions are off so I add some dark lines to fix the yellow.
Focusing on The Stratosphere, giving it volume. I add some green to the sky to shake things up. Perhaps inspired by the sounds of the rattling roller coaster and screaming riders.
Time to add the letters. The font is pretty cool. I like how they use the “S” as handles for the doors.
A few hours in to our new painting, the security guards changed shifts. The new crew forced us to leave the property. This is a parting shot of the first vantage point.
A cool view from inside the canopy as we went inside to try to talk to someone that could help us stay in the original location. Of course the referred person was no where to be found. Time to give up on the first location.
Once home to TV legend Dean Martin, now their claim to fame is a 6lb burrito.”It’s child size, literally.” In 2009 the burrito had 275 wins and 4 losses. I decided not to give it a shot.
Getting going in the new location across the street. The wind starts to pick up. At times I find myself holding the canvas securely while I paint. For a few minutes I walk behind me to see what Borbay is doing. As we are looking at his canvas I jokingly say “The wind is going to blow our easels over any second.” Less than a minute later a big gust comes and knocks both our easels over. Our other painting partner Jerry Shawback ends up with a painting covered in sand.
I have a breakthrough moment in the painting and decide to include aspects of both vantage points.
A few touches of detail in the highlights and shadows to wrap it up. That’s Jerry on the left.
End Of An Era, The Sahara | 20 x 20 inches | acrylic on canvas | 2011.
The imagery conjures up memories of driving down the strip looking up at the casinos. The bold colors and improvised juxtaposition give the painting a dream like quality. The Sahara may not stand much longer, but it will remain a pillar of Las Vegas history.
This is truly the end of an era. The Sahara is gone, but not forgotten.
Borbay’s Sahara painting and recap:
See You, Sahara, Las Vegas | 20″X20″ | 2011 | Available | Acrylic and Collage on Canvas
View other paintings from the Las Vegas trip:
Welcome to Las Vegas, 24 x 24 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2011.
El Cortez Hotel & Casino
El Cortez Hotel, 600 Fremont St, 24 x 24 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2011.
Broadway Bares: 2 Hot, Las Vegas Live Painting
Bares Cares, acrylic and ribbon on canvas, 20 x 20 inches, 2011.
Check out this great time lapse video of Las Vegas that includes us painting, by Allan Gange.
You can view this video in crisp HD on the Vimeo Web Site.
It is my great pleasure to feature this great time lapse video of the Las Vegas strip by Allan Gange. The film features beautiful day and night shots all around Las Vegas. Allan filmed Borbay and I during our second day of painting The Welcome To Las Vegas Sign.
Here is how Allan describes the movie:
Day scenes, night scenes, time lapse and people studies. Filmed during my last trip to Las Vegas April 2011. Thanks to Ari Lankin (arilankin.com) and Borbay (borbay.com) who let me film them working. Music is Nightmare by Artie Shaw. I didn’t have a nightmare but thought the music suited the night scenes especially and the transition from day to night.
A quick anecdote about the filming:
Allan introduced himself, asked us if he could film, and then set up his camera. While he was filming me I could hear someone breathing behind me. I took a half step back and there was a giant camera in my face. I turned and said to the guy “Hey, how are you doing? You could at least say hello.” I wasn’t rude, but I wasn’t overly friendly. I’ve had people photographing and videotaping me all day, but this guy was up in my space. I felt his gut with my elbow, and he didnt even say hello. I instantly returned to painting without giving him much thought. He kept filming for a few more minutes over my shoulder. When he left Borbay says to me, ”You’re overly friendly to every person except for the camera guy working for NBC.” Oops.
Allan has other videos posted on his Vimeo account, and I can’t wait to see more, they keep getting better.
Great job Allan, this video is fire!
View Borbay’s finished painting.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, The Sign Painting | 24″X24″ | 2011 | Acrylic and Collage on Canvas |
