It was so nice to hear that Needham Community Education wanted to feature me in their latest Instructor Spotlight.  In addition to teaching private art instruction, I also teach Acrylic Painting, Pencil Drawing, and Colored Pencil Drawing (and more!) through Needham Community Adult Education.  Here is link to the Instructor Spotlight...
http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_64429/File/Community%20Ed/Eddie%20Bruckner%20Spotlight.pdf

For More information about Private Art Instruction for kids and adults, please CLICK HERE.

To learn more about the electrical box, please visit the following link on my website (www.EddieBruckner.com) or read about it on my blog HERE (Natick Pride & The Boston Marathon).

In addition to creating my own personal artwork and exhibiting in galleries and shows, I also take great pride in providing art instruction. 

My love and enthusiasm for painting have drawn me into educating those who want to paint and draw for themselves.  I am dedicated to helping both beginners and experienced artists explore their creative potential.  I love to inspire others to discover their innate artistic ability. With my unique hands-on style, I encourage my students to reach their own personal artistic goals, inspiring and encouraging students of all ages in a fun and informative approach.

In addition to private art lessons, I also give presentations on the public art projects I've created over the years, as well as discussing my artwork and all aspects of being a professional artist. Feel free to reach out to me if you'd like more information about art instruction or speaking engagements.

One of my adult acrylic painting students gave me this wonderful video testimonial, so I wanted to share it here on my blog.  She's very talented, a lot of fun, and a pleasure to teach acrylic painting!  For more information about private art instruction for children and adults, please visit:  ​http://www.eddiebruckner.com/art-instruction.html

This past week I learned that I was being featured in Boston Voyager Magazine in their article titled, "Flashes & Strokes: A Tale of Two Mediums."  The article celebrates artists working in both traditional and digital mediums.  You can view the article HERE!

Just a few days ago was the Chinese New Year and 2018 is the year of the dog according to the Chinese Zodiac.  Celebrations began on February 16th this year and last for 2 weeks.  I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy, healthy, & prosperous Chinese New Year!

Personally, I was born in the year of the Tiger.  So maybe I'll paint a tiger one of these days... 

But in honor of the Year of the Dog, I'll post some of my recent dog paintings.  Dogs are honest and loyal friends to so many people.  And I think they are just cute, and fun, and represent love and happiness.  That's why I love painting dogs, and puppies! Here are the first two paintings I did of dogs back in 2016:

I wrote a blog article after "Woof Woof! Gotta Get My Bone" was sold.  You can read it by clicking HERE. 

​I recently completed 2 really fun dog paintings, both original acrylic on canvas paintings, 18" x 18" each.  Here's a photo of each of them...

Click on the Painting to view it in my online store!  Wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous Chinese New Year 2018, The Year Of The Dog!

Which Puppy is your favorite?  Let me know in your comments below! And feel free to share this post on social media!
​
-Eddie

I'm pleased to announce that I was selected by Artsy Shark as their Featured Artist.  Below is the article and you can view it online using this link:

​https://www.artsyshark.com/2017/12/21/featured-artist-eddie-bruckner/

Being a Featured Artist is an incredible opportunity to have your artwork seen and shared widely.  ​The article is read by thousands of people who visit the Artsy Shark web-site.

This weekend, I participated in a wonderful juried art festival in Needham, Massachusetts.  The 2017 Needham Winter Arts Festival was held at Town Hall and featured over 30 local artists exhibiting their work.   It was wonderful to be a part of this event which attracted hundreds of people (despite the first snowfall of the season) and featured musicians and singers performing holiday tunes onstage.  The event was made possible through support from the Town of Needham and the Massachusetts Cultural Council Festival Grant Program.

I decided to post this blog article because two paintings of mine found a new home!  The paintings, shown here, "Honey, I'm Home" and "Love Shines #2" were both sold and is now part of a private collection, bringing smiles to people residing in Wellesley, Massachusetts.  The "Honey, I'm Home!" painting is acrylic paint on canvas and is 18" x 24".  I was inspired to paint the house upon being invited to exhibit in a group show with the theme, "House."  Before being sold, the "Honey, I'm Home!" painting was exhibited at the Morse Public Library, in Natick, MA in October 2016. It was also exhibited at the Attleboro Arts Museum December 9, 2016-February 2, 2017.  I love this painting because of all the mosaic illusion elements, the representation of bushes, and how I used a broken line to indicate the front doorway.

​The second painting sold, "Love Shines #2" is a 10" x 10" acrylic on board painting with resin and ground glass. "Love Shines #2" was one of my most recent paintings completed within the past month!  This was one of my first few paintings that features my use of acrylic paint and ground glass with multiple layers of resin.  I love using hearts in my artwork to convey the emotion of love, passion, romance, and fun!  I really do feel that love does shine, and in the case of my artwork, it does too through the use of ground glass that reflects the sparkling light!

The accompanying painting, "Love Shines #1" is still available, and I'm glad that it received a lot of positive praise at the Arts Festival.  I'm currently working on another series of 10 paintings, all 10" x 10" with acrylic paint, ground glass, and resin. So stay tuned for more information on those paintings once I'm done with them in my studio.  They are going to be awesome and a LOT of FUN!  OMG!

I also sold out all my puzzles and blankets featuring my artwork as well as sold a lot of greeting cards, coasters, candles, limited edition prints, and notepads too!  The 2017 Needham Winter Arts Festival was a great and successful event!  I'm looking forward to participating in it again next year!

I'm thrilled that these paintings sold to folks who absolutely loved them and I hope that they will enjoy their original paintings for many years to come!

To see the painting sold last weekend and read the blog article: CLICK HERE!

This past weekend, I was a visiting artist exhibiting my artwork at Gorse Mill Open Studios.  Gorse Mill Studios is located in a historic old mill building in Needham, MA, a suburb of Boston.  The building houses dozens of artists who create all types of artwork; from paintings to pottery, stained glass to mosaics, ceramics, jewelry, photography, illustration, encaustic, glass, performing arts, graphic design, and more! Gorse Mill Studios hosts openings, gallery shows, and art education programs throughout the year.  It was wonderful to be a part of their event.

I decided to post this blog article because one of my favorite paintings found a new home!  The painting, shown here, "Woof Woof! Gotta Get My Bone" was sold and is now bringing smiles to a new family!  The painting is acrylic paint on canvas and is 10" x 20".  I love this painting because of it's unusual size, the movement portrayed by the vertical lines of varying width, and how I incorporated mini-dog bones within the mosaic illusion part of the painting.  It always makes me laugh!  

Before being sold, this painting was exhibited at the Wellesley Community Center for the Wellesley Society of Artists Fall Show from September 2016-April 2017.  This is the painting that I used for the cover of my new 2018 Calendar that features the birthdays of dozens of famous artists. I also created a coffee mug of this painting too!  I'm thrilled that this painting sold to someone who shared with me how much he loved it and I know he and his family will enjoy it for many years to come!

The artists and director of the film really captured van Gogh's style, bringing it to life on film. The swirls in the sky and starry night opens the film it’s opening credits. Every detail was taken care of regarding the casting of light and shadow as people moved in front of the light and moved away from the light or moved closer to the light. In some scenes where there were lamps, you really could tell by the painters brushstrokes the glow of the fire that emanated from the lamp. And it was that glow that was also masterfully captured in the characters faces, clothing, etc.

The plot-line of the movie is certainly more of a historical documentary, featuring a variety of different flashbacks and characters re-counting their impressions of van Gogh and their interactions with Vincent van Gogh. From from all of these characters' subjective accounts of Vincent van Gogh‘s life and death, we learn, in aggregate, all about Vincent van Gogh.

At the end of the film, we see the closing credits, which featured photographs of the actors in costume in character beside actual photographs or paintings by Vincent van Gogh of those characters and the images that inspired the scenery, etc. For example, the Vincent van Gogh's paintings of Joseph Roulin, the Postman, of which there are several of them, those images were shown beside the actor's portrayal of that character.

It really is hard to believe that Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime. And it’s really hard to even fathom that he painted over 800 paintings in his eight year career as an artist.  I always wonder what wonderful artwork he would have produced for the world to experience and enjoy had he lived a longer life.

Even describing this film does not do it justice. You really do just have to see it for yourself. The film has already won several nominations and awards at various internationally acclaimed film festivals.  Anyone who appreciates Vincent van Gogh's artwork, or even Modern Art in general, needs to see this movie.  

I can’t recommend this movie more highly. The official trailer is posted below.  For more information about the movie, please visit the official website www.lovingvincent.com

Go see it!  And I welcome your comments below.

There were a few funny stories of things that happened while I was on-site painting.  It was the first day on-site at the electrical box.  One of the first things I needed to do was make sure the box was clean of dirt, bugs, cobwebs, etc.  before I could start painting.  So imagine people walking by seeing a guy on a stepstool washing by hand an electrical utility box!
As people walked by, I could tell people were a bit confused or thought I was out of my mind.

As you saw in the video, I began by painting a solid black color on the entire box, and then place lines of tape, to be uncovered later.  ​When I started with the spray paint, painting it all black, again, some people were trying to figure out what was going on, if I was vandalizing the box, or why it was all black.  Maybe they preferred it grey? 

But as I continued with my painting, people began to stop, ask what I was doing, ask me what it was going to look like, etc.  It was a great opportunity to share with people the great things the Natick Center Cultural District has done around town to enhance life for everyone in Natick.

I painted the box over 2 weeks, almost every day, so I got to see a few people on a number of occasions on their daily walk, and it was great to stop and chat with them and hear their reactions as they saw the progress over time.

In Boston, the box I painted is on Boylston Street, a very busy city street so most of my interactions were with pedestrians on their lunch break or people heading to a Red Sox game.  But in Natick, I can’t tell you how many people honked their horns and smiled at me while I painted. 
People even rolled down their windows and shouted things like “Great Job!, I love that! & That’s so cool!”

I’m so pleased that in all my interactions on site, people were really happy to see my artwork. 
One woman said to me, “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in Natick. And that;s very cool.”

And it was great to see all the wonderful comments on all the Facebook and Instagram posts!
I love watching the first time a passerby sees my artwork on their evening jog, their walk home from work, or pushing a baby stroller on their way to Dunkin Donuts.

These are all inspiring reminders of the transformative impact a piece of public art can have on the overall look of physical space and the pleasure it gives people.

Here are some photos from the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony:

In just a few days, the Venice Biennale will begin!

La Biennale di Venezia is the oldest and most prestigious international exhibition of contemporary visual art in the world. Often referred to as the Olympics of the art world, the event dates back to 1895, when the first International Art Exhibition was organized. Since then, millions of visitors have been introduced to exciting new art every two years.  The 57th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (May 13-November 26, 2017) is directed by Christine Macel, Chief Curator at the Musée National d’Art Moderne – Centre Pompidou in Paris.

As a graduate of Brandeis University and a huge fan of the Rose Art Museum, I'm thrilled that the Rose Art Museum will present the work of Mark Bradford as the representative of the United States at this year's exhibition.

Bradford's installation, titled "Tomorrow is Another Day," (after the closing line from Gone With the Wind), comes from his longtime commitment to the inherently social nature of the material world we all inhabit, and includes a collaboration with the Venice-based nonprofit social cooperative, Rio Tera dei Pensieri.  In Venice, Bradford helped current and former prison inmates open a storefront where they sell cosmetics, tote bags that they create, and vegetables that they grow.  Proceeds go to the organization Rio Tera dei Pensieri, which helps former inmates find employment, housing, and healthcare.

Best known for his large-scale abstract paintings that examine the class-, race-, and gender-based economies that structure urban society in the United States, Bradford’s unique work represents a connection to the social world through physical materials. In his artwork, Mark Bradford uses fragments of found posters, billboards, newsprint, and custom-printed paper to engage with and advance the future of abstract painting.  Bradford has earned international renown for large paintings made by layering these fragments of posters, papers, and other materials on canvas—collages that he cuts, sands, and tears into fantastic abstract compositions.

So if you're in Venice, be sure to check out "Mark Bradford: Tomorrow is Another Day" at the United States Pavilion of the Venice Biennale.  And if you can't make it to Venice, don't worry!  Following its debut in Venice, "Mark Bradford: Tomorrow Is Another Day" will be on view here in the United States at The Baltimore Museum of Art from September 2018 through January 2019.

For More Information, please visit:  https://www.markbradfordvenice2017.org/

I wanted to create a piano for Street Pianos Boston because I love Boston and I love public art.  I believe there are incredible opportunities to use art to represent Boston as one of the world’s best cities; a city that has a vibrant and thriving arts community that adds to the inherent value of everyone living here or visiting Boston. 
 
The Play Me I'm Yours Street Pianos exhibit is something I've admired since I first saw it a few years ago in 2013. When I first heard that "Play Me, I'm Yours" was coming back to Boston, I was very excited about the opportunity to paint a piano for this project. My artistic style is about fun, bright colors, using the illusion of mosaic tiles, and bold lines, and I believed that my art would complement the exhibit really well, drawing people to the pianos and interacting with them on the streets of Boston. It was a real honor to have been selected to be a participating artist. 
 
I was excited about Street Pianos Boston because it would be my first public art project.  My art is loved by people who have my art in their homes, but I also believe that my art has a place in the public realm; my style lends itself for large murals, even sculpture, in public places as well as in corporate office settings. I'd love to do more in the public realm so that art can be accessible to everyone.

​Being part of the Celebrity Series of Boston Street Pianos exhibit was particularly meaningful to me because I realized how much I enjoy the process of creating public art and am excited about the possibilities for other terrific public-domain art projects in the future.  

More videos of the Piano being played can be found on the Eddie Bruckner Fine Art YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCamBWngXFOwL9AZhBjoy24A

And more photos and videos can be found on the Street Pianos website: www.StreetPianos.com Look for Downtown Boston: City Hall Plaza.

The hashtag for the project is #streetpianosboston if you'd like to follow it on social media.

I am very proud that my painting/piano added value to this city-wide, public art and performing arts exhibit.  It was really special to see Bostonians, visitors, and tourists enjoy playing all the pianos that were created for this wonderful project. ​  The piano will be at Boston City Hall Plaza through October 10, 2016.