hi NRG from Charlotte Perrelli - "Hero"

Happy New Year!

For the last day of 2008 the weather seems appropriate. Here in the northeast, it's gonna be cold and blustery and we're gonna get dumped on (snow that is).

I am ready to put 2008 to bed and awake to a fresh new 2009! I have a few resolutions, to procrastinate less, to be proactive more, to try new things, to be better organized, and to manage my time for work AND for fun better.

New Work: Dream of the Dolphin

Since I was out of town when my latest work was released, I did not simultaneously post it on my blog. To catch up here are some of the in progress photo's and the final piece.

Happy to say that someone already has purchased the original. Prints, of course are available on the website, www.breyette.com.

Looking Forward

I do apologize for the lack of postings lately. I know it can be annoying when you frequent a blog and days or weeks go by without an update.

Well, I will make a resolution to post more regularly in 2009!

My excuse for my slacking is 3-fold.

1. First, I did 3 new works this month that I was intending to hold off on releasing because they are earmarked for my show this coming July. So I would normally have posted more images of them 'in progress'. But I didn't want to give too much of them away.
2. Secondly, I blame Christmas, there is always so much else going on, it's tough enough for me to find time to get work done. Not to mention that Edward and I went to North Carolina to visit his family for the holiday.
3. Thirdly, I had a car accident on the 18th, which shook me up and I was not in the greatest of moods. I really just wanted to curl up in bed for a few weeks, rather than deal with insurance and search for a new used car.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to.

I am certainly looking forward to sweeping 2008 into the past (for all it's good and bad) and look bright eyed toward 2009! I've always like odd numbered years.

On The Drawing Board:

The pieces I am working on now feature larger than life size faces. It's fun getting to work on the same ol' features of a face but in a whole new way. With these I get to add individual lashes, whiskers and those little lines on the lips.

Ice Storm

Here are a few pictures I took today of the ice storm that hit Massachusetts Thursday night/Friday morning. Many areas are still without power. Strangely the area where I live did not get hit this hard and I didn't lose power. Place east, west, north and south loss power and some may not get power back for several more days.

On The Drawing Board: About Face

I am working on pieces for my show in July, so that's why I haven't shown or released the finished piece of the last one I was working on.

Anyway....here is a glimpse of the next piece. I am thinking it will also go in the show. I don't want to show more than the face because anything more will give away the gist of the picture. It's going to be part of a series of at least 3 perhaps more.

On the Drawing Board: Locks of Love

I don't often give my men long-ish hair, I guess I'm just not that big of a fan. I guess it's a matter of the right style of long hair on the right kind of guy.

To accentuate the figures emergence from a pool of water the long wet hair works here. I think it gives it a nicer line with the arced angle of the head.

Robyn's Back

She was huge several years back with her album Robyn's Here, the singles Do You Know What it Takes, and Show Me Love, now she's back.

"Ciao"

"Ciao" opens in selected theatres next Friday, December 5th. It stars Alessandro Calza and Charles W. Blaum.

Thanks & Giving

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

I am offering free shipping on any orders placed at my website gallery www.breyette.com, of $50 or more going to anywhere in the U.S. as my way of giving thanks for being able to earn a living with my art.

I also have a limited number of signed 2009 calendars left to treat yourself or someone else with, and you can spread the joy with this years holiday cards featuring my piece "Stocking Stuffers".

Take care and a Happy Holiday Seasons to you.

My Interview by Dr. Dick - Part 2

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One of my all time favorites

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Murder on the Dance Floor"

On The Drawing Board: From Here to Infinity

I guess it's because I'm a water sign (Scorpio) that I love to put my men in water settings like an infinity pool. The wet skin, rivulets cascading down, and a wet see thru swimsuit are also motivation. I am also looking ahead at my show in July and am creating pieces especially for that.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The water’s awash with toothbrushes, laundry baskets, trawling nets, plastic bags and miles of plastic cord mixed with plastic bottles, rubber ducks, gym shoes and cigarette lighters.

Welcome to the edge of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the world’s largest floating trash heap.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is two large masses of ever-accumulating trash, known as the Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches. The Eastern Garbage Patch floats between Hawaii and California; scientists estimate its size as two times bigger than Texas. The Western Garbage Patch forms east of Japan and west of Hawaii.

The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a slowly moving, clockwise spiral of currents created by a high-pressure system of air currents draws in floating trash from around the world and is trapped by the circular motion. Due to its lack of large fish and gentle breezes, fishermen and­ sailors rarely travel through the gyre.

Greenpeace estimates that 1 million birds and 100,000 marine mammals die in the Garbage Patch each year.

The pernicious effects of this "trash vortex" aren't just limited to the marine ecosystem. Every year, hundreds of millions of nurdles, tiny pieces of plastic, are dumped into or lost at sea, where they eventually make their way into the food chain by acting as sponges for a variety of anthropogenic chemicals (e.g. hydrocarbons and DDT).

New Work: Necessary Roughness

A nice autumn day is a great chance to get outside and gather the guys together for a game of touch football. And it’s a good excuse for a little contact sport with a guy you’ve had your eye on for a while. While it may just be touch football you might get carried away and sack the quarterback. Some moments just inspire Necessary Roughness.

Man there were a lot of leaves in this one! But I saved those for last so I'd have these two gorgeous guys to appreciate while I toiled away.

The original as well as limited edition prints of this new work are available now on my website www.breyette.com.

As always, get 20% off for a very limited time during the Day of Issue Sale, which will end around midnight tomorrow, November 20th.

My interview by Dr. Dick

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"Trains and Winter Rains" - Enya

I'm in the mood for winter!

On The Drawing Board: Turn over a new leaf

When came up with this idea I knew that the biggest challenge would be the pile of leaves. Now that I am taking them on, I am pretty sure I was right. But alas it is not that bad, they are turning out well, it's just very tedious. I wasn't sure how I would tackle them. The thought of doing one leaf at a time seemed preposterous, surely I could come up with an easier way, perhaps splotch on some colors first and define the leaves afterward. However, one at time isn't so bad and I think it's well worth the final result.

Olbermann on Prop 8

Keith Olbermann comments on the passage of Prop 8 in California which strips away marriage rights from a specific minority, it bans same-sex couples from identical legal protections afforded everyone else.

While, in the state of Connecticut beginning today, same-sex couples can apply for and receive marriage licenses.

1000 Words Project: Update...of sorts

I have to apologize as things have progressed more slowly than I had hoped with the 1000 Words Project.

Shortly after the call for story submissions ended in May I was hit with the sudden closing of the venue for my July exhibit in Provincetown and the ensuing scramble of find a new one. That ended well, but it was a much bigger show and took more work prepare for.

In August I hooked up with a publishing company that was interested in publishing the resulting book from the 1000 Word Project and began working with the editor to select the best stories. Things were going well then the editor got bogged down with several other projects, so it's kind of been on hold for awhile.

Hopefully things will be back on track soon and we'll have a great book put together.

On The Drawing Board: Showing Some Skin

I always try to give my pieces a little bit of spice. Sure some works I do are definitely 'erotica' but a lot of what I do is capturing moments that may seem almost mundane and extruding or infusing the beauty and sensuality in them.

In a time when there is easy access to explicit pornography, it's still those little things that trigger the libido. It can be the way a guy stands, the arch of an eyebrow, flashing a little midsection when reaching over head or seeing his briefs when he bends over. While the whole enchilada is great too, it nice that it doesn't desensitize us to the power of subtleties.

"Movie Star" - Róisín Murphy

On The Drawing Board: Fall

Since I've been recuperating and haven't had a lot of energy to do much else I've had time to work on my latest. I had just gotten started before my vacation. Now it's moving along quite well.

Update About Credit Card Processing Company

In an earlier post I mentioned that First Data Card Services, the company that processes credit card orders for my website, endorsed ProtectMarriage.com, a hate group working to pass Prop. 8 in California.

The company was listed on the website as a contributor.

I also contacted First Data and expressed my displeasure with this endorsement.

First Data responded saying that they do not take official company positions on social issues. They discovered that an employee contributed and listed them as their employer. First Data requested that they remove their name from the protectmarriage.com website and they have complied.

Images from Costa Rica

Great Trip, Bad Ending

Costa Rica was great, but it's good to be home. The trip was a lot of fun, we got to do and see things we've never done or seen before.

Unfortunately I think I ate some bad shrimp on our last night and got very sick on the trip back. I was in the tiny airplane restroom for much of the flight from San José to Miami. I had the shakes, chills and collapsed once. The flight crew was ready to have fire and rescue meet the plane in Miami.

I made it through customs, and thanks to all the folks that let me cut the line. We had a nice long lay over in Miami, which is the one time I really appreciated that because I did not want to get back on the plane to Boston at that point.

Edward took good care of me keeping me warm, getting me Pepto, Immodium, tea, Gatorade and H2O, and eventually a wheelchair because I had no strength to stand.

Once I warmed up and my intestines settled down, I fell asleep from exhaustion in the airport and slept through most of the flight back to Boston.

I am still a bit under the weather but feel sooooo much better today.

I'll post some of the pics we took in Costa Rica soon.

Interview for GayAgenda

Here's an interview I did with GayAgenda's Antonio Capurro. We did the interview via chat so pardon my spelling and grammar.

Costa Rica

Edward and I are going to Costa Rica for our birthdays. I'll be posting again when I get back. Perhaps I'll find some tropical inspiration for future works. Until then Mark will be in charge of breyette.com (and the cats). Any orders that include signed prints or originals, placed while were away will be shipped out right away when we get back, November 4th.

Have a happy Halloween...and don't forget to vote!

Eeeek! My Credit Card Processing Company is anti-gay!

I just discovered that First Data Card Services, the company that processes credit card orders for my website, has endorsed ProtectMarriage.com, a hate group working to pass Prop. 8 in California.

Prop. 8 is the attempt to deny marriage rights to same-sex couples.

I'll be talking to my bank to see if they have other card service providers they work with.

To other fairminded business owners, especially GLBT business owners, consider switching card processing companies if you're using First Data.


See Update.

New Release: "Stocking Stuffers"

Whether it's Santa or a special someone that's doing the stuffing, it's those special little somethings you find in your stocking that are the best surprises of the holiday.

I am happy to reveal my Christmas themed piece for 2008, Stocking Stuffers. I always enjoy trying to capture the spirit of the holiday by bringing the elements of the season together in a fun and sexy way.

The original as well as limited edition prints can be purchased on my website, www.breyette.com. They will be 15% off during the Day of Issue Sale, which ends around midnight Friday 10/24/08.

You can also order unique Christmas cards with this image exclusively from www.breyette.com. Cards are expected to be ready to ship the first week in November.

Ron Howard's slice of apple pie Americana

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Interviewed by Dr. Dick

Perhaps you've heard of Dr. Dick or even asked his advice. Well Dr. Dick is Dr. Richard Wagner clinical sexologist out of Seattle Washington. He runs Dr. Dick's Sex Advice website where he exposes, reveals and discusses every sex topic and question thrown at him.

He also does a weekly podcast, available from his site as well as iTunes.

He has a new series of interviews called The Erotic Mind, where he talks with artists and authors of erotica.

Dr. Dick interviewed me yesterday and I'll be showing up in 2 half hour podcasts expected to debut in the second half of November. I'll keep ya posted with the exact dates.

Word of the Day

Bach·mann·ism [bok-muh n-iz-uh m]
-noun
1. the practice of making accusations or insinuations of anti-patriotism, esp. of being characterized as un-American, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidence. Similar to mccarthyism.
2. an unsubstantiated statement that is meant to pander to peoples sense of patriotism by inferring an opposing individual or group is less patriotic than themselves.

---

[Origin: 2008, Americanism; after Michelle Bachmann]

Images from Berlin

Erotic Signature has sent some photos of the Berlin exhibit of the ARTundressed tour. The works in this tour were published in their books The Worlds Greatest Erotic Art of Today Volumes 1 & 2. I was pretty pleased to see a photo that showed framed prints of my two works Early to Rise (the Viewer's Choice winner) and Business Trip on display.

The exhibit in Berlin has been extended until October 27th, and may go until November 3rd.

Election Odds

The electoral map above is a forecast for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election. The states are shaded according to the probability of a win.

The size of each state is distorted to reflect it's share of electoral votes.

If you're a gambler, the data for this map comes from the Intrade prediction market where there are real-money contracts for each individual state based on how it will award its 2008 electoral votes. Traders who predict the outcome correctly are rewarded with the money of those who don't. For more information visit Intrade.com. The data was updated yesterday October 16th.

Fun With Erections

What About Us?

John Barrowman who plays bisexual Captain Jack Harkness on the British Sci-Fi series Torchwood comes from a musical theater background and his new album Music Music Music comes out at the end of November.

The lead single What About Us, was penned by Brit pop star Gary Barlow.

Barrowman is an out and proud actor - hence the same-sex imagery in the video.

Say NO to Hate, Vote NO on 8, Time to Donate

A recent poll shows the California ballot question to ban same-sex marriage, Proposition 8, is now favored by a majority. Until recently the bill looked to be headed for defeat but many hate groups like Focus on the Family, member of the Mormon Church and the Knights of Columbus are funding the campaign to strip some Americans of their rights, and the tide is turning.

In an effort to defeat these anti-American groups that support discrimination, segregation, prejudism and bigotry generous donors Tom Bombardier and John Fowler, along with the Human Rights Campaign, will double every online contribution made TODAY, up to $120,000 to fund the effort to keep marriage in California fair and equal to EVERYONE regardless of sex, race, or religion.

Donate to keep marriage in California equal : https://secure.ga3.org/03/caequalpac_match

On The Drawing Board: Christmas Lights

Here's another peek at this years Christmas artwork. I am trying to spend as much time as I can on this piece in order to get it off to the printers soon and get the holiday cards made.

It's turning out well. I think it will be a really cute piece.

That's so gay...?

On The Drawing Board: Santa Surprise

I began as usual with the face of the central figure. While trying to get the surprised expression and focusing a lot on the eyes, he almost began to look like he had mascara and make up on, they were too detailed and 'dressed up', but the more I worked on them and the rest of the face things began to balance out.

I did notice that he's started to look a little 'lit', meaning he might have had too much rum in his egg nog, but that works out perfectly for this scene.

Just for Fun: Ellen sings like Cher

The Presets - "This Boys in Love"

My new favorite song, and sexy video to boot.

3 Down 47 To Go

Today the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry. Even though the state already allows same-sex civil unions, the court ruled that they did not go far enough.

The 4-3 ruling will make Connecticut the third state, behind Massachusetts and California, to allow same-sex marriages, decisions that in all cases were made by the highest state court. The decision marks the first time that a court rejected civil unions as an alternative to granting gay couples the right to marry.

Pencil Drawings by David J. Vanderpool

A fellow artist I know, David J. Vanderpool, does some masterful work with pencil. Among his stunning portraits he also does some beautiful male figurative as well. He recently spent a year putting together a behind the scenes look at how he works. Come to find out he works in a similar fashion as me, putting the outline of his idea onto the final work surface and concentrating on one section at a time.

You can take a peek at his book Pencil Drawings and buy it at this link http://www.lulu.com/browse/book_view.php?fCID=4394828

On The Drawing Board: Oh We Need A Little Christmas...

Getting started on my Christmas piece. Here is a section of my rough sketch. Last years was cozy/romantic, this year I'm going for something a little playful.

Day of Issue: Down for The Count

He’s mysterious and intriguing, dashing with a wicked smile and a stare that sets you on fire, so when The Count invites you to his castle and then into his bed chamber what’s a young man to do - but get down for The Count?

The last few years I’ve indulged in doing a piece to celebrate each Halloween. It gives me a chance to have a little wicked fun with my artwork and no better time for a little fun. Previously I’ve done a devil “Diablo” and a werewolf “Leader of the Pack”. So for 2008 it was time for a vampire, and I wanted to shoot for the top and do my interpretation of Count Dracula.

Limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase. The Day of Issue Sale is on through Midnight Thursday October 9.

The Original is available through the Lyman-Eyer Gallery of Provincetown MA.

Day of Issue: "Coasting"

You can put a lot of effort into your journey, plan every detail, figure it all out and try not to veer from your course. But sometimes you need to just let go, forget it all, and let life carry you along as you enjoy the moment, the freedom, and just let things happen. And who knows whom you might meet in those moments when you're just Coasting.

I was very intrigued with expression on the passenger's face in this picture, and wanted him to be the main focus of the work. This led me to render everything else a tad out-of-focus.

The original as well as limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase. The Day of Issue Sale is on through Midnight Friday September 26.