My friend Michael Thompson is a fellow member of the International Society of Portrait Artists. We love to email each other with our most recent images. You can imagine how great it felt when he said that this portrait of Maria Startz's girls was "absolutely stunning." That was high praise from someone who I really respect. I have to admit that it was pretty incredible to work with such great sisters who were totally into the experience. Even as I was creating the portrait, I could tell that it was going to be quite special.

This is the first portrait we created indoors at the new studio. I am finding that the natural light and wood floors in the main gallery are incredible for portraiture. This painting is of Sabrina and Samantha, the two daughters of Ron and Sherry Parker. We all had an amazing experience creating their portraits. I could not be happier.

A note from April Brandes

For those of you who do not know, I am married to Mark.I asked him if I could say a little something on his blog about our move to the new studio in Calabasas.

Moving is a tremendous undertaking, especially when you have been in one location for over ten years. So much has to happen so quickly, and with an artist, the interruption can either be helpful or damaging to your creative energy.

This last month, I was reminded how much Mark knows about the art and the skill of portraiture. When we decided to move to a location studio, Mark knew how incredible the garden would be for our new paintings. Long before he made his first camera study, he saw the beauty of the portraits he could create here. This little painting was created of Louella Grahams children, Cassie and Lea, just 3 days after we moved in. That in itself is amazing to me. I was equally unaware how much expertise in lighting, space design and more is required to create a camera room that will be suitable for an artist at his level.Though it is not finished, Mark is making a home for himself where he continues to create his elegant studio portraiture.

It has been an amazing 10 years in our Westlake studio.With the support of our clients and with his creative vision, I have no doubt that we will all enjoy the years to come.

Our phone number is unchanged, though it takes a little while for all the lines to be transferred over:Please give us a call before you visit, as we are still settling in.

April Brandes

I am so excited about the opening of our new studio in Calabasas on May 1st. After more than 25 years in Westlake Village, I have to admit that I'm feeling sentimental about the change, but at the same time we're all really excited about it all.

I began my career doing formal portraits in the studio. I still love them. And yet it's important that I continue to be inspired as an artist.

About a year ago, April started to paint my photographic portraits. I do the camera studies and April is completing them in mixed media on canvas, hand finishing them with oils and glazes. We've been astonished at the response to the new direction our work is going!

Of course, we will have a beautiful camera room at the new studio, and I will continue to make photographic portraits.