Happy Holidays Everyone!

Here is a quick little painting I did last week for fun. I am trying to build up my speed so once and a while I try to finish something as fast as I can. It forces you to work smart, since in painting one can get in the habit of creeping up on the effect.


The Nut Cracker, 7 x 5, oil, 2008, $150

Diamond Skull discount!

While I think Damien Hirst is a genius in the marketing of himself as a product, his art is basically porn. Not very good porn, and porn that has someone else makes for him most of the time. I suppose coming up with brilliant ideas is enough, like "hey, let's stick a real shark in a vat of formaldehyde!"
Though he did recently make $198 million in a single auction of his work, which is a bit more than I have ever made. So, he has the last laugh.

He is fascinated with death, and likes to take dead animals and display it to satisfy this obsession.
I don't want to spend a lot of time on him, but one of his recent works is supposedly worth around $98 million. It is a cast of an actual skull in platinum and covered in diamonds (it costs about $20-30 million to make).
It did sell, but it turned out that it was bought by a group of investors that Hirst was himself a member. So, that is one way to get your prices up. Seems a bit shady. But if you are displaying death to make money..........



Anyway, I found one that is much cheaper, plus it lights up and has a motor to rotate it. It is less depressing and would be great at parties. It is only $39.99. They sell it at BudK and I suggest you go out and get yourself a great work of art at a discount price.
I have purchased things there before and they have been to my manly satisfied. I may have to get me one of these skulls for the studio.

Winter Drawing Class

I am getting in touch with my feminine side by teaching a class at the Women's Art Club. Turns out that while you do have to be a woman to be in the club, anyone can rent the facilities for teaching. So I canceled the sex change operation and have started the class tonight.
I was excited to have 12 people, but somehow only 6 showed up. Which according to my calculations is way less than 12- almost half.
It was a good class, and if anyone is interested, there are 9 more fun filled, information packed classes to go, and you may join in now- the sooner the better.

SIGN UP AND LEARN SOMETHING!
10 week class, starting Dec. 11, Thursday nights, 6 to 9. Class is $200. Rough dates I have figured so far: Dec 11, 18, Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29, Feb. 5, 12, 19, and 26. The class will have to be limited to about 12.
The class is at the Women's Art Club Cultural Center, 6980 Cambridge Ave, Cincinnati, OH
You can email me if you are interested- richard_luschek@yahoo.com
Here is where we will be:
http://wacccbarn.blogspot.com/
http://www.womansartclub.com/thebarn.html
Click here for Directions to the Barn.
There is parking and the entrance is off the lot.

Learn to draw stuff like this:

Socrates, 24 x 18, charcoal on paper