Portraits

This idea started some time back in late 2011 – drawing, sketching and painting a whole lot of portraits of famous and notable Minnesotans, or folks who made an impact on MN. This is a sample of what could turn out to be hundreds of portraits.

I have always had a love for creating portraits going way back to grade school, and later I made a pretty good living off of drawing caricatures at fairs and stuff. These particular ones are sort of a combination of serious renderings to more cartoonish sketches. In my approach, I am considering everyone from local basketball great Lindsay Whalen to pro golfer Patty Berg, Chief Little Crow of the Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux to American Indian Activist Dennis Banks, Garrison Keillor to John Madden, and many more influential one time and permanent residents of the land of 10,000 lakes.

The scale of each portrait varies, and they can range from acrylic paint on canvas or wood to rough sketches and water colors. Some of them take on a scrapbook quality (especially the water color ones).

Once I have a satisfying amount of portraits, I will then start hanging them on a large wall collaging them in the shape of the Minnesota.

The project as a whole is both a history lesson for me and a tribute to the people who have shaped this state.

Finally Revealed!

The work is titled "Sunday Afternoon - Green Bay". It is my latest installment of the stadiums and ballparks series. Though I am a Minnesotan and grew up in a Vikings family, the arch rivals Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field became the backdrop of the new painting.

Some may ask why I would paint this particular scene, and my answer is simple. Green Bay is the ultimate football town. I mean, the streets in this town are named after their legendary team – Lombardi Ave., Bart Starr Rd. and Reggie White Way. They even have a steakhouse in the name of ol' number 4, Brett Favre. This town is not crazy, they are certifiably insane!

The narrative for this painting is not so much about the team itself, but about the people of the community on which it stands. It is the only NFL team owned by the people and the only non-profit team in all professional sports throughout the U.S.. More than half of the composition is of the neighborhood and it's close proximity the the stadium. This makes for such a unique scene.

Although, as I am writing this blog, the Packers just got eliminated from the playoffs in a disappointing loss to the NY Giants. Well... there's always next year.

One step closer to reveal new work

Here is the teaser to the new piece. And no, I have not developed a new style in the vein of Gerhard Richter or Chuck Close. Though they are like gods to me. I am obscuring the picture to the point of being unrecognizable. However, maybe not impossible to guess what it is. The houses in this particular area are pretty accurate. And who knows, maybe one of them is yours.

By the weeks end, I will reveal its true self in all it's glory.

New Painting Soon to be Announced!

Hey to all. I am please to announce my next soon to be finished piece. I don't wanna give it away, but I will say it is going to be finished by the middle of the month. And it is going to raise some eyebrows.

I am totally diggin it so far! The only clue I am going to give is that it has to do with this time of year. And the fever in the air is high for this particular pastime. I will give you the answer in the next few days. Till then, keep guessing.

Fenway Park! It Has Arrived!

The latest piece has finally been finished! It will be titled "Fenway Park - Boston", and will be available for prints and posters soon. The original specs are, 48" x 60" (flat).
Fenway is another installment of my ongoing stadium/ball park series. Unlike "Target Field - Home of the Twins", Fenway will be available in canvas reproductions.

As you look into the detail of Fenway, you will notice that the Red Sox are playing the Yankees on an overcast day. This particular game is based these two rivaling teams. David Ortiz has just hit a grand slam! The home run ball is flying over Curtis Granderson's head as he has no chance to catch it.

There is so much detail in this piece - Everything from , Yawkey Way, the Green Monster mascot, Lefty and Righty maskot, the Red Sox Trolley, the Peanut cart, and many of the surrounding bars and pubs, along with the cheering mayhem that is the Boston Red Sox Fans.

The Big Gallery Move

Hey my peeps, the funky world of Bent Gallery will be no more! It is now moving to an even funkier world just down the hall in the fabulous historic Thorpe building. Ya know... the old white brick box. Team Birawer have strapped on their hard hats and tool belts and are going to work on the new Michael Birawer Gallery.

At this point we are making sure this transition is as smooth as possible. The MB online store and portions of Bent will still be operational and it is our plan to have all of the art moved by the end of September. Wow! That's this month. No time to talk. Better get moving!

Banana Drawing

After listening to Fresh Air with Terry Gross the other day, it caused me to reflect on what everyday items we take for granted could someday disappear. Yeah I know it's only a banana.