Lady With Baby

Lady With Baby, originally uploaded by msokolis.

I've been wanting to paint a pregnant woman for the Balancing Act Series. So I approached someone on the streets of Venice about modeling. Jolie was a great choice. 1) She didn't call the cops on me. 2) We got to know each other a bit and she's delightful. 3) As she balanced on the platform, her form was impeccable. It turns out she's been a gymnast for years. The way she arched her feet and poised herself brought a new flavor to the mix.
Before long there will be a painting of a kind of balancing act for two.

Site Upgrade

The Sokolisart Web Site has been upgraded. It was quite an endeavor, not for the faint of heart.
The entire success of the site can be distilled into two words...Mike Griess.
The Mighty Mike Griess is my web designer, and he rocked the joint. His skills, patience & tenacity made it work.
Mike hung in there through all the twists and turns...he modified site ergonomics, tripled the amount of
viewable art, added new categories and updated artist information. Thanks MG.
p.s. if you ever meet him, ask him what he thinks of clowns.

At The Easel

At The Easel, originally uploaded by msokolis.

My friend Jake visited the studio. He brought his friend Chastity with him and they hung out quite awhile. Jake took photos while I painted. Then Chastity modeled for the Balancing Act series. I took over 200 pics and got some great shots. She was a natural...she'll be showing up on canvas soon.
Here are 3 of Jake's photographs from their visit.
P.S. he's the model in High Anxiety and other paintings.

Paint

Paint, originally uploaded by msokolis.

Chastity

Chastity, originally uploaded by msokolis.

Construction

Dear Readers: Sokolisart web page modification and construction is nearly complete.
Through the Timeline feature, you'll be able to go through images of paintings from
2000 onward. We've been scanning, cleaning and archiving slides
of paintings. We hope to post the altered site in the next few days. Fingers crossed.
Other features are being enhanced or added.
If anyone has feedback, please drop me a line. Thanks. Happy viewing. Michael