Blog

The Inouye Sisters

noreply@blogger.com (April Brandes) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:04:00 +0000

I've always dreamed of having a north light studio. So you can imagine how inspired I've been these last couple of months at our new location!
I'm grateful to Kaili and Kaydee for being such great models in this recent painted portrait we created.

As Good as It Gets

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:44:00 +0000

It is always a pleasure to give back to the people who have helped to make our studio successful through the years. I have an especially soft spot for helping kids, and have had lots of opportunities to get involved. I love helping out great charities like Our Lady of Fatima Parish School. You can only imagine how I felt when I received this letter from Molly, who is one of their young students. They netted over $70,000 in profit from their March 21st auction.

Sabrina and Samantha Parker

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:35:00 +0000

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.

Settling into our Calabasas Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:33:00 +0000

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

What Our Clients Think...

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:27:00 +0000

It was so great last week when Jami Johnson came to pick up her framed painting that began as a camera study of the boys at the Westlake Inn. We were so honored by what she said:

"How can we ever thank you enough for capturing our precious children the
way you did! We had nothing but the utmost confidence that you would do an outstanding
job. Your professionalism and passion for your work is so admirable.

This painting is a true masterpiece and we will cherish it for the rest of
our lives.

It was a great pleasure working with you."
With love, Frank and Jami

We're Moving

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:41:00 +0000

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.

What an Amazing Afternoon...

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:43:00 +0000

We had a really inspiring afternoon in Malibu recently with Melanie Gouczwaard and her young daughter Emelia. I did the camera studies at both Paradise Cove and at Point Dume. The coreopsis was in full bloom, and it was absolutely stunning.

Here's a short slide show of our experience:

I've made a special friend...

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:24:00 +0000

And she's another artist as well!

When the Markham family came into the studio to pick out the frames for the beach portraits that we did of their family at Leo Carrillo Beach, their young daughter Erin presented me with her own work of art. We thought you might want to see it as well.

Currently it's hanging on the bulletin board by my desk, but I might even frame it.

Our studio is blessed to have so many clients we can call our friends. Thats one of the real joys of what we do. And it's also fun to see our young clients grow up. I have a story about a local client who hit the big time this year...but it will have to wait until next time...I've gotta find her images first. They're in the archives on something called film.

Any guesses? Stay tuned...

Vanity Fair Exhibit at the LACMA

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Last weekend, our good friends, Sally and Greg Rademacher stopped in for a visit. The Rademachers have a beautiful portrait studio in Prior Lake, Minnesota, and Greg's work is unbelievably gorgeous. Here's a link to his website www.rademacherportraits.com Check it out.

We spent a great Sunday in LA, and did the whole tour... Mass at the Los Angeles Cathedral, lunch at the Grand Central Market, the Vanity Fair show at the LACMA, and then dinner at a Korean BBQ place in Koreatown. Lots of quality time and wonderful experiences!

The Vanity Fair show was excellent, with so many iconic images. I loved so many, but quite honestly, in the whole museum, this little painting sketch by Louis Bally from 1794 just captured my heart.

It's only about 5x7 inches, but incredible. It reminded me of some of the new painting pieces April is doing here at the studio that have the same feeling.

Stop in sometime for a visit, and see our latest work. You'll love it, I promise!

We Love Seeing our Clients View their Portraits!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 23:33:00 +0000

When Shawn and Jamie Villalovos came in last week to view their finished portraits for the first time, we loved seeing their big smiles. Both Shawn and Jamie said the portraits were awesome, and that they loved their amazing detail. They ordered several wall portraits and this painting of 3 year old Daisy will be displayed in their entry. You can't imagine how we feel, knowing that the portraits we create will be among our client's most valued possessions.

The Spear Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:12:00 +0000

There is a group of amazing portrait artists who April and I meet with every year about this time. I just returned from a wonderful retreat with them in the mountains a few miles outside of St. Louis. The weather felt like 20 below zero to my California blood, so you can only imagine how great it felt to be back home. Just a few days after my return, I created this portrait of Mark and Jack Spear enjoying a walk in the early spring fields near Mt. Boney. They were full of enthusiasm, and I wanted to capture how much they enjoyed being together. I love that I can work on location all year long in such beautiful environments!

Ice Dancer

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:11:00 +0000

Back at Christmas, Marianne Mosko asked me to meet her and her young daughter at the ice skating rink here in Westlake. Her daughter is an accomplished ice skater and we wanted to make an image that would be an amazing work of art for their home. I loved the color and the lights - it made the experience just magical. I'm continually thankful that I have such a great life, creating the kind of portraits I love, with enthusiastic people who come back to the studio again and again through the years.

Chris and Anne Moore's Family Portrait

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +0000

I love family portraiture. In every family I've ever worked with,
I've found that each person is completely unique, yet they all belong
together. It’s fun for me to help everyone feel confident, relaxed
and happy. In this portrait of Chris and Ann Moore and their four
children, I posed them a little further apart. Although their twin
daughters are just 15 years old, each of them is already beginning to
find their own unique life path. We had such a great time creating
their portraits at their beautiful home in Laguna Niguel, and I know
that the family will enjoy them for many years to come.

My Newest Painting....

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:54:00 +0000

When I was at the home of Scott and Darla McCutcheon in San Clemente recently, I also did some camera studies of their 8 year old daughter Hanna.

Hanna was so at ease during the session that I knew a painting would be beautiful, even while I was capturing the initial images with her. I was so pleased with the final painting that we used it as a sample for the annual auction at St. Anne's School in Laguna Niguel, where Hanna attends.

More and more clients have been commissioning us for paintings. What a privilege it is to create them. And we are having a special sale on Children's paintings in January!

The portrait that I treasure most....

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:14:00 +0000

When our little granddaughter Emma Grace Hartman was born, I experienced something first hand that we tell our clients all the time: Beautiful portraits are important. They truly do capture once in a lifetime moments.

Now, I am probably about the proudest grandpa around. And I get to create all kinds of portraits of Emma. Most recently, I did this one in my favorite classic style.

Throughout my career, I have loved creating timeless, elegant portraits. They are sometimes unappreciated in a fast-paced, trendy culture like ours. But don’t be mistaken: these portraits will stand the test of time. They are simple, beautiful and arresting. They require extraordinary attention to detail. I love Emma’s innocence and purity in this image. It is fun to see her budding personality. When she turns one, I’ll probably create a painting, which of course I’ll be excited to show you. But I know I’ll always love this portrait of our beautiful granddaughter.

Honoring CHOC and the Duffy Family

noreply@blogger.com (April Brandes) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:50:00 +0000

Last week, I had the incredible honor of helping the CHOC Foundation (make link) raise funds for their important cause at the ChocWalk at Downtown Disney.
We featured this painting of little Emma Duffy, daughter of Patrick and Erin Duffy, created in the dining room of their home. The family has been committed to CHOC in a significant way because their daughter was a patient there.

The Perez Family in Santa Barbara

noreply@blogger.com (April Brandes) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:40:00 +0000

April and I had a wonderful time with the Tony and Liz Perez, and their daughter Isabel when we visited one of their favorite Santa Barbara restaurants, The Wine Cask. We shared a great bottle of wine, and then created this portrait. I love the romantic feeling and the evident intimacy this beautiful family shares, not to mention their great appreciation for excellent wine!

Newest Magazine Article features my portraits....

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:39:00 +0000

Professional Photographer Magazine interviewed me recently for a feature article in this month's issue. The article includes my first portrait assignment, before I had even chosen portraiture as a career. I was pleased that they also featured my portrait of Andrea Leonelli, that was made in the elegant, formal style I've enjoyed for many years.
The portrait you see here is of Sally Bowen, her daughter and three granddaughters. Sally is a huge fan of John Singer Sargent and Richard Pinos, which inspired me to create this painting sketch in Sally's home in Orange County.

Notes from Mark

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:58:00 +0000

Looking back over the summer, both April and I have been reminded about
how much fun it is to be artists. In the last 4 months, we have created
portraits locally here at some spectacular places. We also did some work
in Canada and Hawaii. We made some great new friends. And as if that
was not enough, we get to experience what many creative people only dream
of: excited clients who trust us to make works of art they will enjoy for a
long,long time. Here is a recent painting of Michael and Wendy Cupps with
their daughters on the loggia of their Italian villa.

Laguna Beach is so Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:12:00 +0000

Most of my beach portraits have been made along the Malibu coast, so it was really fun to create several in Laguna Beach recently. April and I had a great time with Gunnar and Lindsay Williams and their children. We all loved how this painted portrait captures Laguna's stunning beauty. Even more, it shows the happy intimacy of their young family.

My Latest Work from Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:48:00 +0000

April and I had an amazing experience in Canada where the beautiful environment of the Pacific Northwest fed our creativity. I discovered this incredible little lake where I created this portrait of Wendy Bates in the early morning sunlight. Needless to say, it has been an inspiring summer.

Notes from Mark

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:18:00 +0000

We had such a great time with the Muir family up in Montecito last week. They were so excited about the portrait we planned in this garden. Right from the start, we connected with the whole family. Sara brought several changes of clothing, so I was really inspired, and I felt like the sun set all too soon that evening. It was such a great experience. We're making a painting sketch before they come for their selection appointment. There will be way more than enough to choose from for both their primary and secondary wall portraits. I love them all.

Going Public

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:20:00 +0000

We are once again displaying our portraits at the newly remodeled Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks. We are especially excited because it introduces more people to our new Masterpiece paintings as well as the latest in studio and location portraits. I have selected some of my favorite portraits to display. We will be changing the exhibit often, so come by whenever you are in the mall.

Tribute to my sister, Marla Joy Baird

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:39:00 +0000

My sister died last week, and I believe it's profoundly changing me.

She died of ovarian cancer, after discovering it only last summer. Unfortunately, the chemo didn't work for her, and she slipped away before any of us were prepared to say our goodbyes.

This doesn't seem at all fair to me, but I do believe in a God who has the best plan, even if we can't always see it. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Marla's family was way overdue for having a portrait done...they all live such busy lives that it was hard for Marla to pin them down. Fortunately, we were finally able to do this portrait on Easter Sunday this year when we all gathered together. It's sad that we had to do it under these circumstances, but I thank the Lord we were blessed with this window of time.

It broke my heart to see her cry when I brought it to her bedside only two days before she died. She could barely talk as she whispered , "Mark, that's so beautiful". Little did I know that would be the last time I would see her.

How am I being changed? My desire is to move to be more "time committed" to my family and friends... I seriously have no idea how long I have to be with them. Earlier this year when I realized that Marla's situation was pretty desperate, I realized that if I made the trip to Palm Desert to see her every single week, I'd still probably only have a handful of days left with her.

I have come to an even greater respect for the importance in a family's life for the value of what our studio does. Last week, I made a slide show tribute for Marla's memorial service, and it had so many portraits from our years together. For me, putting it together was a cathartic, and healing time that I will fondly look back on for many years.

Hug your family for me, o.k.?

What better way to experience Paradise?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Brandes) — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:46:00 +0000

April and I just returned from Maui, where we had a great time mostly eating, looking for scenes of rural Hawaii (that we never found in spite of hours of driving) and sailing on the America II ... ex-America Cup boat. We spent one evening creating these portraits on the beach of newlyweds Andy and Jackie Zellman.

We were amazed at their thoughtfulness when they had a bottle of champagne sent to our room later that night as a special thank you gift. Classy, eh? Thanks guys ... it was appreciated on our "honeymoon" too.