Sleeping Angel Pastel Painting Art

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

Well, it seemed like a fun idea for me to start a tradition of creating and exhibiting a work of intentionally erotic art for a wish of abundant joy while heading into the New Year. But I seem to be getting tamer as each December arrives! Still, I at least have a new pastel painting of a MALE FIGURE for you! This one is called “Sleeping Angel” and was inspired by light and also the famous Italian artist Caravaggio and his "Sleeping Cupid."

If you would like to read more about the inspiration for this work of art that I have created, please click HERE to read my latest art newsletter. However, I have made a few changes to the 18” x 24” pastel painting and thus, here is a newer image of the ”Sleeping Angel.” I hope that you enjoy him and that you have at least a year of joy, peace, and above all, love.

Links to the other New Year’s Eve posts:
• New Year’s Eve 2011: Art and the Nude Artist poses in front of composition by artist Darryl Pottorf for Roberto Rauschenberg, in Robert and Darryl’s beach house in Florida
• New Year’s Eve 2010: “Anthurium” Nature repeats the patterns she enjoys
• New Year’s Eve 2009: “Tesoro!”
  freely offering our own vulnerability to another is quite a turn-on!

P.S. I am delighted to be able to announce now that my original stone carving "Kiss Me Blue" has been given to a very enthusiastic young woman in America as a Christmas gift (by her parents). So lovely to end the year with a sale, and for a new collector of my work!
”Kiss Me Blue”

In addition: There's a Caravaggio exhibit at Los Angeles County Museum of Art which continues through February 10, 2013. [Thanks to blog reader and art model Andrew Cahner for this tip.]

“Bodies and Shadows: Caravaggio and His Legacy”

Putti Baroque Sculpture Salzburg

Cari Amici (Dear Friends),

I wanted to show you the stairway in the SchlossMirabell or Mirabell Palace in Salzburg, Austria. Along the walls, in elegant niches, are stone carvings of male and female gods from Greek mythology. However, I was rather amused by the stone rail. Big babies, perhaps putti without wings, sit atop curvaceously carved marble.



Putti is an Italian word and is the plural form of ‘putto.’ It means ‘male human babies.’ However, over the years it has come be used strictly as an art term, small babies usually with wings. I get the impression that they could be cherubs or small angels, but it depends on the context of the artwork. Putti are generally associated with Cupid or Eros, and thus would be present in art depicting mythological subjects. They are generally associated with love, or sometimes a mischievous love.


Like real babies, these sculptured figures are twisting, wriggling, and vivacious. I especially enjoyed the stone babies who seem to be gesturing to guests to move on up the stairs. And then once at the top, I got a kick out of the baby who is lying back with one wrist to his forehead as if saying to himself, “Doh!” Drama Queen . . .

Since these babies are not winged, perhaps there is another significance that I did not learn when I was in Austria. Any thoughts?