Albany Institute of History & Art Exhibition


The exhibit covers the development of graphic design from the earliest use of printed text and images with items from the Albany/ upper Hudson Valley area including the work of artists and designers working today.
Here is a portion of the text from the Institute's announcement:


"Graphic Design—Get the Message! looks at graphic design from four themed areas: typography and early printing; commerce and graphic design; political and social messages; and the creative process. Through the use of posters, broadsides, package designs, paintings, decorative arts, historical photographs, and computer interactives, these four themes will address topics such as technology and innovation; manufacturing and commercial growth; changing aesthetics; typography; designers and the growth of the design profession; and social and political expression in graphic work. Graphic designs, objects, and the history of design work from the Albany area will be used to address broader issues of national and international significance. As it examines technological, commercial, aesthetic, and social factors, Graphic Design—Get the Message! will reveal not only how the field has changed over the years, but also how it has changed us.
Throughout its run, the exhibition will also feature a number of lectures and demonstrations by graphic designers and scholars in the field."



I am delighted to be a part of this 5 month long exhibition about graphic design which runs from February 5th through June 12th. I will also be giving a presentation on Friday, May 6th at 6:00 PM in conjunction with the exhibition. 
It is a spectacular show and worth seeing -even without my work!



Here is a link to the Institute's site:

Equestrian

This is a sampling of paintings depicting a variety of equestrian themes.

 # 3 On The Backstretch

 
Bathtime

 Chatham Fox Hunt

 Polo #1, 1

 Stakes Barns

Saratoga Stables

'Having Our Say' film

This was done for the television movie about the Delaney sisters.
The story is based on their best selling book which was also produced as a play on Broadway. I will post the art that I did for that on the 'Theatre art' portfolio page at a later date.

Unwanted horse


Here is a pretty cool treatment of my work. The designer commissioned me to paint the horse plus three dozen small watercolors of various horses which she then combined in a sort of mosaic. This was for a veterinary relief campaign to rescue neglected horses which was underwritten by a pharmaceutical company.


Detail

Hooker painting

This is the most recent in a series of paintings I have done of traditional Irish workboats known as "Hookers" or "Galway Hookers" which are sailed throughout the Galway Bay region in the west of Ireland. These boats had all but completely disappeared by the 1970s but have since enjoyed a major renaissance. 


Museum Exhibits

Examples of exhibit drawing styles.

View the 'Veterans Mural' page to see the style below used in a 36' long mural.


Two samples from the Crown Point Visitors Center exhibits. 
More images are posted on the main blog page.




Below are images of the five full size figures that are displayed at the site of the New Windsor Cantonement. These are combined with actual items such as a wash tub and document chest.

Benjamin Gilbert

Francis Barber

Oliver Cromwell

Sarah Osborne

Thomas Foster


New Windsor NYS Historic Site

One of five life sized paintings which are reproduced as cutout figures combined with actual objects and displayed in front of exhibits of artifacts from Washington's last permanent encampment which was located in the Hudson Valley near Newburgh, NY. The complete series is posted on the 'Museum Exhibits' portfolio page.


Benjamin Gilbert

Illustration

Illustration, the heart of what I do and have done over the past 30 or so years. Yes, I do portraits, gallery paintings, exhibit work and even some video but illustration is where I started and still consider my 'calling' as it were. Here are several plucked from the flat files.
More (much more) are posted on the 'Illustration' portfolio page.







Ralph Lauren video

Here is a project that I really enjoyed being a part of. It is a 6 minute online video where live action characters essentially walk around in a storybook. It is called "The RL Gang Fantastically Amazing School Adventure"
Working with a company called Filmworks that shot and directed everything, including me was a great experience. They made magic, in my opinion.
The process started with footage of the kids, dressed in Ralph Lauren back-to-school clothes that was shot on a green screen and then combined with the approximately 200 watercolors I did. The After Effects work done in post production was nothing short of brilliant and I was delighted to see my art 'come alive'. Add in the original score and narration by Harry Connick Jr. and the final piece was quite remarkable. Take a look.










Images and video copyright Ralph Lauren Media LLC

Bloomingdales

Here is a snapshot of one of the Ralph Lauren 'RL Gang' windows at Bloomingdales.

Portrait examples

Former NYS Attorney General, Dennis Vacco

Dr Cromie, CDPHP

Erland Kailbourne, Fleet/Norstar

I have had quite a range of portrait commissions- from children and teens to judges and politicians, including a New York State Attorney General. These are examples of portraits commissioned for  boardrooms.
Other portraits are posted on the "Portraits" portfolio page.

Veterans Mural

I was commissioned to create a 36' long veterans mural for the State University of New York which would list all faculty and staff who had served in the Armed Forces from the University's beginnings to the present . The names are set on clear film sandwiched between sheets of glass and mounted, along with scores of photos on the painted mural.

Here is the mural in its entirety and a close up view.



Details are posted on the 'Veterans Mural' portfolio page.

Courtroom art


A Federal corruption trial of the Majority Leader of the New York State Senate was held near my studio and I was called to cover the trial for a consortium of television stations. This was an absolute riveting experience for me - drawing on the spot under pressure, having my work shot on video, literally, on the sidewalk outside the courthouse and the actual trial itself which was fascinating. 







Theatre art

Tale of Two Cities

The Lark

The Unexpected Guest

Big River

Treasure Island


Maritime art

Red Sailed Hooker

Star Island

'America'

Rye Harbor

'Charles W. Morgan' whaleboat

'Morningstar'

Island Buildings

Veterans Mural

These are close-ups of three sections of the Veterans mural...




and the full view.



General illustration

Posted here is a sample of individual illustrations done for a variety of assignments.

'My brother Sam is Dead'
Young adults classic by Chris and James Collier

Gretchen Moll and Josh Brolin in remake of 'Picnic'

 Allens Canning

Granite Construction, Inc.

'Having Our Say' film


Barton Cotton / PGA

Herc Publishing