South Beach, Miami, Florida

I just got in from Miami late last night from a 4 day bachelor party for my brother-in-law.  Perfect 90 degree sunny weather spent mostly on the beach.

I shot a bunch of these classic art deco hotels for a possible series of small paintings that I want to offer up for sale on ebay as soon as I finish the large New Jersey pieces.

I have to say that South Beach could possibly be one of the most decadent places that I have ever seen.  

First, I'm sitting on the beach early in the morning by myself while the rest of the boys were out playing golf after a long night of serious drinking and carousing.  I ended up dozing off in the blistering sun listening to the peaceful sound of the waves crashing onto the shore only to wake up some time later surrounded by hundreds of topless lesbians. Next, later in the day we all go back to the hotel pool bar for more cocktails and what do we see happening in the pool?  Some sex crazed naked woman having a grand old time with 4 guys from some other bachelor party in the water.  Needless to say, I didn't venture into that pool for the rest of our stay.  There had to be 20 people all around the deck of the pool watching this debacle unfold.  I was a bit uncomfortable watching this display, yet I couldn't turn away.  I've never seen anything like that in my life.  Lastly, yesterday morning I woke up early to go out for a nice peaceful walk in the beautiful Floridian sun and what do I see as soon as I turn the corner from the hotel?  A dead body that was lying in an alley.  Also something that I have never seen before.  I thought to myself after reflecting on the past few days' adventures.......you ain't in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!  

I hope you had a great time Dave, I know I sure did!  

Tick Tock Diner - Clifton, New Jersey

I painted all the neon tubing freehand.  If you compare the 2 jpegs, there is no initial underdrawing done on the neon whatsoever.  I don't want to sound cocky, but that amazes me. How am I able to do that without screwing up?  

I hope that I will have this skill for many years to come.  

I think I'm going to darken the sky at the top and let it get gradually lighter towards the bottom, thus creating an overhanging arch of sky framing the sign. 

Tick Tock Diner - Clifton, New Jersey

This is the legendary Tick Tock diner

located on route 3 in Clifton, N.J.

Vi and Ron, I PROMISE that this is the last new painting that I shall start.

I should have 15 completed by September.  Thanks for being so patient, I just had to spit this last one out.  

One side note: one of the greatest books ever written about landscape painting has just been published in paperback.....Landscape Painting by Birge Harrison. 

I spent about 15 years looking for this book as a first edition hardcover, scouring the country from Maine to Seattle, Washington and back again, never actually finding it in any dusty old bookshop, then came the internet, and online booksellers and bingo......I now own 3 copies.  (I just bought the paperback anyway... for 11 bucks I couldn't resist.)    

I have been in the studio painting since 5:30 AM and just finished up at 8:30 PM.......I really need a friggin' nap!

I will keep posting as I finish each new painting.  

Lyndhurst Diner - Lyndhurst, New Jersey

This is a case where the sign is more charming than the diner itself.  The building is a modern looking, uninteresting structure, but this neon sign is oozing personality.  

I will most likely start one or two more new paintings, then I am determined to start finishing all the ones that are in various stages of underpainting.  I am guessing that by the start of the new season in September I will have enough for a nice little show.

The Egg Platter - Paterson, New Jersey

I did a small version of this image in 2006 for an ebay auction, and just couldn't quite get it out of my head.  I thought that this place would make a great large painting, so here it is. 

 

It reminds me so much of the Bendix Diner piece that I did a few years back, and I am very confident that this image will be just as strong as that one was. 

I now have 13 paintings going at the same time, and hope to finish them asap.  Now though, I am off to Los Angeles to meet Johnny Depp and Jack Black.  I hope to have some interesting photos to share when I get back to the studio.  

Fair Lawn Water Tower + 3 NYC scenes

These are most likely going to be my next 4 paintings.

I have also

revamped my 2nd blog.  I am using this blog as a gallery site for my newer finished pieces.

Please check it out if you have the time. Thanks.

mark-oberndorf.blogspot.com

Belmar Fishing Club - Belmar, New Jersey

As I wait for the initial underlayer of sky to dry on the Pizza Town painting, I was able to stretch, sketch and underpaint most of this historical place in Belmar.

I plan on taking the Pizza Town painting all the way to completion, it's too tempting not to.  I am going to blast this one with artificial light against the deep blue twilight sky.  I think this could be one of my best paintings to date. 

I have been making a lot of starts on paintings, but not finishing any up and now I have 11 going at the same time.  So, I think that it's time to start wrapping some of these babies up.

I also plan on starting up my ebay auctions again soon.  I am going to approach these little ones in a more sketchy, loose and impressionistic way.  I think that they will still have the power of the gallery pieces, yet be more painterly and true to nature. 

 

I'm very excited about this and I have to thank Stephen Magsig for the inspiration his little gems have given me.  They are even better in person. (I own 3 so far....)  His gallery pieces are stunning, but these little ones are so powerful. 

Stay tuned.........

 

Pizza Town - Elmwood Park, New Jersey

This is the legendary Pizza Town restaurant located on route 46 in Elmwood Park, N.J. 

This place has been at this location for 50 years.  At one time there were a total of 7 of these places all over Northern N.J., but now this is the only one left. 

I remember going to one in Hackensack when I was a little kid, and being totally fascinated by the way the fluorescent light from inside would shine through the corrugated awning, creating a weird translucent glow on the outside of red, white and blue.  I also loved the neon sign.

The interior signs, which have yet to be underpainted, are the originals from 1958, which I also remember vividly.  I can't believe that I was so attracted to this colorful place as a child, and now I get the opportunity to immortalize it in paint and canvas for future generations to see and enjoy.  

Four Seas - Centerville, Massachusetts

First stage of underpainting almost done.

This building has been torn down as of last week.  Gone forever.

This place is now a Spanish restaurant.  Totally new paint job consisting of garish yellows and oranges.

Just got back a few days ago from Disney in Orlando.

Animal Kingdom lions and tigers...oh my!

Next up on the easel.  Pizza Town USA in Elmwood Park, N.J.

One last note:  I just found out about a fantastic artist who does similar stuff to mine, only in Detroit, Michigan.  Go check out his blog at  http://myartspage.blogspot.com/

His name is Stephen Magsig and he is very good at what he does.  I am bidding my ass off on his paintings on ebay.

Lobster Pot - Provincetown, Massachusetts

The next two paintings on my easel. The Lobster Pot in Ptown and Four Seas ice cream shop in Centerville, MA.

Petunia - South Truro, Massachusetts

This is one of the little bungalows that line route 6A in So. Truro, Mass. This is my fourth time painting this subject since 1990. Doing this piece again feels a bit like a homecoming for me at this point in my painting life. I say this because I did a painting of another one of these cabins back in 1990 and walked around Provincetown with it under my arm going in and out of every gallery on Commercial street trying to get accepted into one. I got rejected in every single one of those galleries, with comments like, "you can't just walk into a gallery like this and think you can get representation." I was getting very upset and discouraged after about the 12th rejection, and decided to just give it up, until I walked into the last gallery on the street. They were very excited about this little painting, and ended up taking me on board and giving me my first one-person show in 1992. By the way, I went back to P-town this past summer, and almost all of the galleries who kicked me out on my ass are now long gone, but the gallery that accepted me is still in business, going strong.
www.solagallery.com

Another side note; my very first sale as a professional artist was at this gallery, and the piece that sold was a view of this same cabin for $550. This new painting will sell at Kerygma gallery for close to $5500. How the times have changed!

I hope everyone has a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Draft Beer - Seaside Heights, New Jersey

I have no idea why I am so attracted to these tacky signs "down the shore", as we say in Jersey, but I love the run-down, seedy look of the whole area. There is something very Hopperesque about some of these locations, and I feel as though they should be documented in some way before they are all gone.

One more thing, I have been "tagged" by a wonderful artist named Bob Martin who has been a great supporter of my work. When someone tags your blog, you are requested to list 5 little known facts about yourself and then tag 5 other artists. So, here we go.....

1) I am a distant relative of Charles Lindbergh. He was born on February 5 and I was born on February 8. Also very ironic is that I had a very close call on takeoff once in a cessna. The pilot was yelling, "We're not going to make it!!", over and over as he pulled the nose up over a very large stand of trees at the end of the runway. Needless to say, I will NEVER fly in a small aircraft again!!

2) I taught myself how to juggle after watching a friend of mine do it. I was able to juggle perfectly on my very first attempt. I guess I must have good hand - eye coordination. lol!

3) It is impossible for me to paint without music playing. Neil Young and Ani DiFranco are my personal heroes, by the way. They have both had as much influence on my painting as any artist ever has.

4) I am terrified of ketchup in certain situations. Let me explain....I can eat it on burgers and fries, but in any other context, it is totally revolting to me. I think this irrational fear is due to the fact that when I was going for my initial interview at Kerygma gallery a few years back, I stopped in at a local diner for a quick bite before I was due there. I was freshly shaved and scrubbed and dressed in what I felt was appropriate attire for a gallery interview. I reached for the ketchup bottle for my fries, and WHAMMO!, when I twisted the cap open, it exploded all over me. I have never been so mortified in all of my life. I couldn't move or speak for a few minutes, trying to comprehend this hideous turn of events. I rushed home to wash up and change clothes and made it to the gallery in time for the interview. The gallery owners got quite a chuckle out of this when I told them what had happened, and said that they would have taken me on board no matter what I was covered in! I knew right then and there that this was the gallery for me.

5) If I had been just a few inches taller, I truly believe that I could have played in the NFL as a wide receiver. Also, I was at both Super Bowls when the Denver Broncos won. I am not a Bronco fan, it just worked out that way. I find this interesting because John Elway once said in an interview one of the most fascinating things that I have ever heard. He was asked how was it that he almost never gets sacked from behind, and his response was, "I see the cast shadows of the defenders on the ground coming towards me." Brilliant!

As far as tagging 5 other artists goes, I will just list the 5 painters whose work I have the incredible good fortune to own.

Duane Keiser (8 paintings)
Mick McGinty (3 paintings)
Karin Jurick (4 paintings)
Jelaine Faunce (2 paintings)
Craig Stephens (2 paintings)

One last shout out to James Neil Hollingsworth, whose paintings are PHENOMENAL! I mention Neil here because I have been trying to acquire one of his masterpieces for years now, and keep getting outbid each and every time. RATS!! I will own one of these babies someday, if it's the last thing I do!

Thanks again to Bob for your kind words and support! Next time I'm in Arizona, we will hook up for lunch and a studio visit!

Red's-Point Pleasant, New Jersey

This is the neon sign at Red's lobster pot restaurant in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. I don't believe that this place is in any danger of being torn down and replaced with condos or a strip mall or any other blight on the landscape, I just like the look of this sign. I am also quite fond of a good lobster now and again!
I have one more Jersey shore piece to do before I start on a few Cape Cod scenes. After that will be some NYC facades that are going to be tremendously fun to paint. I seem to be starting many new pieces at this point instead of finishing one at a time. I enjoy working this way from time to time, keeping everything fresh and spontaneous instead of getting bogged down with one piece at a time.

Wonder Bar - Asbury Park, New Jersey

This is the famous Wonder Bar, which was located in Asbury Park, NJ. This is where Bruce Springsteen first saw Clarence Clemons play. Sadly, this place has been or will be torn down very soon to make way for condos near the beach. This bar has been at this location for 58 years.

Circus Drive-In

Just a quick note to say that I am back at work on this one, with no surgery needed for the hamstring! Thanks for all the kind thoughts from everyone.

Mansion Art

Hello again.
Sorry to clog up your inboxes, but I promised my good friend Seth that I would mention his auction site on my next blog post.
Seth set up my website a few years ago and has been hosting it ever since. He has been incredibly generous to me, refusing to take any money for all of his hard work on my behalf. Thanks so much Seth!! You are the best!! (do you know how to do hamstring surgery?! lol!)

Please check out his art auction site...... www.mansionart.com

Back to the Percoset and Tylenol.......

Circus Drive-In

This is the famous Circus Drive-In restaurant located in Wall Township, New Jersey. I planned on starting a few new paintings while the Cyclone painting dries, but it looks as though I won't be painting for a couple of weeks. I tore my hamstring on Halloween night, and might need surgery to repair it. I can't sit at my easel without excruciating pain and I really can't paint these photo-realistic pieces standing up, so I guess I'm out of commission for a little while. I can't drive or ride my bicycle either, so I'm pretty well screwed.
I will try to get back to work on these paintings as soon as I am able. Ugh. Please wish me luck......

cyclone

Still going....

cyclone

2 weeks in so far.

Cyclone

This is the cyclone roller coaster located in Coney Island, Brooklyn.

This painting measures 30" x 42", so it will take about 2 months to complete. I will update the progress periodically.

This is the first in a series of Coney Island paintings that I plan on creating. I also hope to do a few Cape Cod scenes as well as some Jersey shore pieces in the near future.

I currently have 5 new paintings hanging at Kerygma Gallery for the new season show, so if you have time and are in the area, please drop by.

www.kerygmagallery.com


p.s. I have been asked why I underpaint the sky area with burnt sienna. The reason for this is that when I lay the final blue overlayer on top of the orange/brown, the two complementary colors vibrate optically in the viewers' eye, thus creating a more realistic depiction of atmosphere. I try to underpaint all natural elements (sky, water, trees, grass etc..) with the complementary color for this exact same reason. Most of the man made objects that I paint are usually painted right from the start with their true local color. The Impressionists were the inventors of this approach to painting, and it works well for modern realists as well.

Ridgewood Church

oil on linen

27" x 10"

completed painting

Humpback whales off the coast of Provincetown, Mass.

Moonrise in Earth shadow with anti-twilight arch above.

Hyannis, Mass.

Edward Hopper's summer home in South Truro, Mass.

The Good Wife's Guide

http://j-walk.com/other/goodwife/index.htm


This article was published May 1955 in a home economics book for teenage girls preparing them for domestic married life.

This is one of the wackiest things that I have ever seen.....hilarious!!

I'm lucky if my wife doesn't smack the crap out of me on a daily basis, forget about arranging my pillow and taking off my shoes.....

Enjoy!

Paramus Golf

oil on linen

18" x 27"

completed painting

Art in America magazine

Dear Valued Collectors,

Art in America's Annual Guide to Museums, Galleries and Artists was recently released and I am very proud to be included among this elite group of Artists for the first time. Having been a working painter for over 20 years, I am honored by this distinction. I sincerely appreciate the support given to me by my Gallerists and Collectors who have helped make this achievement possible.

Thank you.

Radburn

First stage of underpainting complete.

I am planning on starting up a very limited run of small Ebay paintings again in the next couple of months. Stay tuned.

Ridgewood Church

First stage of underpainting complete.

Paramus Golf

Second stage of underpainting complete.

Saddle River Inn

oil on linen

20" x 28"

completed painting


This will be sent to the gallery for the upcoming season.

www.kerygmagallery.com

Saddle River Inn and Paramus Golf Course

First stage of underpainting complete on Paramus painting; second stage complete on SR painting.

Tenafly Train Station

Oil on linen

19" x 28"

Completed painting.

This will be sent to Kerygma gallery for the new season starting in September.

www.kerygmagallery.com