My work as cover art on new novel

My "La Dolce Vita" painting is the latest to be used as cover art.  It will appear on the novel "Walls That Divide" by Michael Murphy and be available from DreamSpinner Press this coming February.

New pastel painting: "Holy Trinity"

"The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace." 

- Mahatma Gandhi 

The original as well as Limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase at www.breyette.com

Note: The original has sold to a private collector.

on the drawing board:

While I paint muscular fit guys, I don't usually do ones that are really 'jacked'.  I did more physiques like this back when I used to do sci-fi and fantasy style pieces.  Anyway, since for many guys especially gay guys gym and working out is a big part of life.  And though I've done a few locker room themed paintings, until now I haven't really done one specifically about working out.

New Original & Print: "Bathed In Love"

Many people think of a bath simply as a waste of time and water when compared to the efficiency of a shower. But any bather will tell you, a soak in the tub isn't really about washing up. It's more about well being than hygiene. Throughout history the act of bathing has been ritualistic and very often a social activity. Sharing a bath with a special someone gives you time together without distractions (leave the tablet and smart phone in the other room) and it forces you into self exposure, vulnerability and intimacy. Sure, it may lead to other activities, but you can always take a shower after. 

My latest piece is also the first work in my upcoming exhibit (more on that below). While the original is available now for purchase through Lyman-Eyer, it must remain with the gallery until after my 2014 Summer show. 

Limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase here at BREYETTE.COM.

on the drawing board: triple play

While this is only a portion of the full piece, the painting will only be of the guys from the chest up.  I thought of showing more, but opted for the intimacy that focusing on the faces and the embraces provides. Plus I'm in the mood to work on larger faces.  Heck the last piece I did didn't have any face unless you count a jack-o-lantern.

on the drawing board: easy as 1, 2, 3

Who remember's "Three's Company"?

New Original and Prints: "Pumpkin Head: The Legend of Creepy Swallows"

Once Autumn came and dusk began to arrive early, men from town would take a late afternoon stroll through the nearby woods. It wasn't, as they often would say, to appreciate the fall colors, the crisp fresh air, or to clear their minds of clutter. In fact what was on their minds was very clear. 

Of course the women of the town were afraid to go into the woods, what with all the wild animals and that frightening tale of the headless horsemen. 

But the men weren't afraid. They knew of another tale. One with a bit more truth to it. In fact, they hoped for an encounter with Pumpkin Head, as he was referred. An anonymous gentlemen, as the story goes, who would don a hollowed out pumpkin for a mask and with great gusto, 'service' the lucky townsmen who wandered the eerie woods. 

The Original as well as very limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase at the special first day pricing through Midnight ET tomorrow.

on the drawing board: Hallowe'en painting sneak peek.

I know I haven't posted in some time. But I haven't been releasing any of my new works because of an upgrade to my websites checkout process.  Anyway...that is almost done.  So I'll be releasing new originals and prints very soon!   I wanted to share a snippet of my rough sketch for my Hallowe'en piece, since that's likely the piece I will present next.  Hope ya like it.  The finished piece looks really good, and a little creepy :-)

on the drawing board: suds on studs in a tub

While I have been fairly successful in my efforts to limit the number of paintings featuring men kissing (this will only be my second one in 3 years) I do have to indulge once in a while.  I am also incorporating a few of my other favorites, bath tubs and soap suds!

New Pastel Painting: "Tie the Knot"

It almost feels like a cosmic alignment. My latest piece celebrates a sexy beginning to Summer as well as a playful twist on gay marriage, and it turned out that the first full week of Summer saw the Supreme Court grant federal recognition of same-sex marriages by overturning DOMA while their action on Prop 8 resumed same-sex marriages in California. Happy Summer!  The original as well as limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for immediate purchase at BREYETTE.COM.

Footnote: So those who have asked about a self portrait ...those are both me. So as not to have the figures look like twins I made additional alterations to the figure in turquoise.

on the drawing board: selfie

Sometimes times I have to take selfies to help me compose my pieces.  It's something that many artists do.  They don't qualify as self portraits really, but I am -or at least parts of me- do appear is some of my works.

New Work: "Thirst"

It is a natural craving, an animal instinct, a driving force that can cause you to disregard all else until you are satisfied. Whatever it may take... a tall glass of water, an ice cold beer, or perhaps a big muscled hairy bear of a man... you have to quench your thirst! 

Perhaps my recent visit to Provincetown and the upcoming annual Bear Week - which I've had the pleasure of experiencing - had something to do with my latest work, Thirst. Perhaps. All I know is that I started it right after getting back. 

The original as well as limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase at the special first day pricing through Midnight ET tomorrow.

On the Drawing Board: Evolution

While I often make subtle changes from my original concept and layout drawing when I'm working on the actual pastel painting, occasionally, as in this instance my initial scene and setting for the piece is a little vague or just not that defined.  As someone that usually likes to have a roadmap, it's also fun to see where it may end up on it's own.

New Work: "Power Bottoms"

Those sexy executives, strutting across the office all day in their fitted suit pants, making decisions, brainstorming ideas, and taking charge. The thin material clings and hugs as they walk and bend, showing off every muscular curve of the company's best assets. It's hard not to imagine them showing the same "take charge" attitude in the bedroom. 

The original as well as limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available at the special first day pricing through Midnight ET tomorrow at www.breyette.com .

on the drawing board: a couple of bums

See, I don't just paint naked men!

My Work & Playlist Top 10 - May 10, 2013

  1. "All My Life" (1 Week @ #1)
       Sally Shapiro 
  2. "(I Like The) Remix"
       New Kids on The Block
  3. "You (Ha Ha Ha) [Explicit]"
       Charli XCX
  4. "Sad Night, Where Is Morning"  (1 Week @ #1)
       The Ocean Blue
  5. "Motorway"
       Little Boots
  6. "Heartbreak Cover Up (Liam Keegan Clean Edit)"
       Jesse LaBelle ft. Alyssa Reid
  7. "Heaven"
       Emeli Sandé
  8. "Bones"  (1 Week @ #1)
       MS MR
  9. "Boomerang (Cahill Radio Edit)" (2 Weeks @ #1)
       Nicole Sherzinger
10. "What About Us"
         The Saturdays

New Work: "James"

James likes his sex rough, tough and dirty. It's no wonder that he's so into leather. He knows his gear has the strength to take the abuse he craves! Do you? 

The original (12½ x 18½ pastel on pastel paper) as well as limited edition Studio prints are available at the special day of issue pricing through Midnight ET tomorrow.

New Release: "Cuddling" (Book cover)

There are times when we all just need some physical contact, not in a sexual way, but just that tenderness, that comforting touch. And while snuggling with the one you love may be ideal, sometimes that's not possible. Besides, there's a lot to be said for cuddling with anyone who's close at hand. 

My latest work, Cuddling was commissioned by Dream Spinner Press for an upcoming anthology of the same name. The pastel is about half the size of the ones I normally do, so there will not be a limited edition Gallery print of this piece. 

The original as well as limited edition Studio prints are available at the special day of issue pricing through Midnight ET tomorrow.

on the drawing board: full tilt

I don't quite know why, but when I work on a face that's at a sideways angle I need to turn the paper so the face is upright.  Just need to make sure everything remains balanced and not distorted.

on the drawing board: under the 'romance' covers

I'm currently working on a piece that will be a cover for an M/M romance anthology of short stories.  Since it's a just a general theme and not a specific story I don't have any specific scene to represent so I opted for a basic depiction of the theme.  I've only ever been commissioned to do one other book, the others simply licensed works I had already created. 

New Work: "Land's End"

He finds himself at Land’s End, where the vast sky and timeless ocean stretch out before Him. Feeling small and insignificant, he is nonetheless filled with a sense of wonder and the hope of endless possibilities. 

The Original as well as limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase from www.breyette.com at the special day of issue pricing through Midnight ET tomorrow.

My Top 10 Playlist for the Week ending April 12, 2013

THIS WEEk	LAST WEEK	WKS	TITLE / ARTIST
	2	7	"Boomerang (Cahill Radio Edit)”(1 Week at #1)   Nicole Sherzinger
	3	6	"Bones"   MS MR
	1	9	'All Men Are Pigs" (2 Weeks at #1)   Studio Killers
	4	8	"Learn To Love Again”   Lawson
	10	8	"Get A Job"   Gossip
	5	9	"Change Your Life” (3 Weeks at #1) p   Little Mix
	8	8	"Moves Like Jagger"   Bananarama
	6	12	"I Love It” (2 Weeks at #1)   Icono Pop featuring Charli XCX
	7	14	"Hands Up"   September
	20	3	"Sad Night, Where Is Morning?"   The Ocean Blue

on the drawing board: touch of grey

I had wanted the figure to have a touch of grey, but from this view it seemed it just need to be more obvious so I made all his hair grey/white.  I think it looks great against the soft baby blue sky.

on the drawing board: just a little showing

Not a lot of elements in this one, so not much to show in the preliminary sketch.  Is less sometimes more?

New Release: "Drained"

They had been checking each other out all evening. And now, as the slamming of lockers signaled the departure of the last few guys, they were finally alone in the public shower. Tonight it won’t be the free weights that have them both leaving the gym totally drained. 

The original as well as limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase at the special day of issue pricing through Midnight ET tomorrow.

New Release: "Suddenly, Last Summer"

Seeing it in movies and hearing about it in songs, those feelings of longing and desire, your head filled with dreams of what could be, and all those romantic notions seemingly unattainable in reality and then... suddenly, last summer. 

While the original was a commission and has been sold, limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase at the special day of issue pricing through Midnight ET tomorrow.

on the drawing board: devil in the details

Because most of my pieces are more 'body centric' the faces that I work on aren't usually that large.  So when I do find myself with a life size or larger face to work on it's really fun getting to do all the little details that are often just a line or a smudge, things like shadows and highlight on teeth, the creases in the lips and individual eyelashes.

on the drawing board: in your face

The new piece I've started will definitely be one of my most 'explicit'. While I have done works that have included erections and at least one that has semen, this one will certainly be more... 'in your face'.  Pun intended. 

New Work: "Fresh Linens"

We spend about a third of our lives in bed, so it makes sense that it would be where we enjoy some of our most intimate and euphoric moments. And whether it's just a treat for ourselves or because we've invited someone to come join us between the sheets, it's nice to start those moments with the clean crisp indulgence of Fresh Linens. 

The original as well as limited edition Gallery and Studio prints are available for purchase at the special day of issue pricing through Midnight ET Feb 23, 2013.

on the drawing board: be mine

Since I'm planning a brick wall in the back ground, for the overall tone I chose a red coloured pastel paper to start on.  This in progress pic I took makes the paper look very pink.  With Valentines day just two days from now, it seems very fitting.  He can be my Valentine :-)

On the drawing board: depth in the mundane

Normally after a few in progress posting of what I'm working on I'll unveil the finished piece.  But because that piece was a commission and is meant to be a gift, I'm holding off until it's revealed to the birthday boy.

Meanwhile here is a portion of the next piece I'm working on.  As you all know I do love capturing the simplistic beauty of seemingly mundane moments.  I just love the idea of concocting a story and all the emotions that might be playing out in such a simple instance.

on the drawing board: romance with color and tone

In my previous post I mentioned that I came up with a more sweet and romantic layout for his commission based on the story he told me but later learned he wanted something a little more sensual.  So I reworked my drawing.  Though to retain some of the 'romantic' feel I'm going with a softer palette rather than strong colors and a vivid sunny day.  I'm hoping he'll like it.