48x72 inch oil painting
Painted live during gala opening for new Lokey Benz showroom
Just got back from Clearwater, FL, where I was treated like a rock star by the super uber people at Lokey Mercedes Benz. Lokey Marketing Manager Dina DeMaria, is a burst of sunshine, as are event planners, Karen Wilson and Mary Alice Collins of Creations and Occasions.
Thanks to them everything ran like clockwork, in true Mercedes tradition of world class comfort and elegance for the 400+ invited guests, who included many high flying VIP’s and local dignitaries (thanks to publicist Cindy Cockburn), most of whom stayed for the entire event. Of course there was plenty to keep them there.
As well as watching me paint, they enjoyed an exhibit of photos of the history of the Lokey Motor Company, and Mercedes Benz cars through the ages, as well as having prizes, lovely food, full bar, great band as well as the most women with the longest slimmest legs in the highest most slinky shoes I have ever seen in gathering … who all held their own (in spades) against some Neiman Marcus models who were strutting their stuff around the showroom … and … we all went home with a beautiful gift from the Lokey Motor Company.
great colors to go with
Mercedes blue/yellow/gray showroom
Painting this size live is a HUGE challenge and, as with most challenges, very exciting. I had the Mercedes team supporting me all the way, from shipping materials down there, hosting me at the new Westin Tampa Bay Hotel in a beautiful room over looking the Bay (where, incidentally, the entire Tampa Bay Buccaneers training corps (about 400 people) was also staying) – making this trip an absolute joy in spite of working my tail off.
I spent three days down there. Day one prepping my materials, figuring out the composition of the painting, based on the layout of the new showroom, and sketching the Mercedes Gullwing car which featured in the painting. Day 2. setting up the easels, blocking in the the composition in time for the guests to arrive at 5pm and be done painting by 8.30pm. Included in the painting is the owner, Phil Lokey and his family, as well as General Manager Bill Riley, wife and daughter. Day 3. I went back to finish off the painting, adding people and more detail and enriching the paint, as well as painting a separate painting of the Gullwing to give to its owner as a keepsake of the party. Clean up, pack and fly back to Philly in the evening.
Thank you Lokey, hope we can do this again some time.