New Mandala Tees are In!

The newest run of my limited edition tee shirts are now available!  This time around, I have done a male and female version - the male version is an Anvil Fashion Fit tee, and the female version is a Bella Babydoll Crew Neck.  Both are high quality shirts!

The shirts are only $19.00 plus $5.00 shipping and are in a very limited quantity.  Once they are gone, they are gone, and I will never repeat the design.

For sizing questions, please refer to the Anvil and Bella sites.  If you have any further questions,  please email me: briansylvesterart@gmail.com.

You can order the tees HERE or by clicking the Tee Shirts tab above.

Win This Canvas!

If you follow my Facebook page, you may already be aware that I have been working on a new canvas that will be raffled off to help support my local arts organization, The Chaffee Arts Center, in Rutland, Vermont.

I did two live painting sessions at the local farmers market to start the canvas off and have been working to complete the work in my studio.  The piece is 24" x 24" on canvas in acrylic and oil, and the regular price is $1,500.

Raffle tickets are $5 a piece, and 100% of the funds raised go directly to the Chaffee.  It's just my little way of giving thanks and giving back.

Please visit the "Raffle for Chaffee Art Center" tab above and purchase as many raffle tickets as you like, and please share the link with all of your friends.  The drawing will take place at the end of this month or just after the first part of April.  Either way, I will keep everyone posted.

Thank you and Good Luck!

Upcoming Show at the Chaffee Downtown Art Center

I am happy to announce that I will be part of a group show taking place at the new Chaffee Downtown Art Center in Rutland, Vermont.  The opening reception is Friday, February 15 from 5 to 8pm, and the show runs until March 23.  If you are in the area, please stop by to see the work and experience this beautiful brand new space.

There is a lot of other studio news to announce, and I will be posting in the very near future, so please stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you haven't LIKED my studio page on Facebook, please take a moment to do so.  This is where I post regular updates as well as plenty of progress photos from the studio.  Thank you and have a great week!

New Mural Goes Up in Rutland Vermont - Part 2

As a follow up to my last post about my work with Peruvian artist Persi Narvaez, I am happy to announce that we finished the mural in Rutland, Vermont last Thursday, August 9.  It took us a total of 23 days from start to finish - not bad for a two-man team!

The official dedication ceremony is August 24 at the mural site from 5-6:30 pm.  It was an absolute honor and pleasure to work side by side with such an accomplished artist as Persi, and the experience will last a lifetime.

Two days after the completion of the mural, it was time for Rutland's Art in the Park, which is one of Vermont's premiere two-day art fairs.  With close to 100 vendors and beautiful August weather, the event was a great way to connect with the public and meet new friends.

The rest of the month promises to be busy as well.  Now that the mural and Art in the Park are finished, I have the opportunity to get back into my own studio to work on the next series of canvases and panels.  Autumn is fast approaching, and this time of the year is normally the most inspirational and productive for me.

If you are coming to this website for the first time via my most recent ad in Vermont Life, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to you all.  If you are interested in my work, please explore the tabs at the top of the page for a wide variety of small and larger works.  In addition to this page, I do regular updates on my Facebook fan page, so if you have a second, please "Like" me, and you will be privy to all the latest news and specials.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

New Mural Goes Up in Rutland Vermont

If you follow my Facebook pages, you may be aware that I started on a mural project this past week in downtown Rutland, Vermont, and that I have been given the unique opportunity to work with Peruvian artist Persi Narvaez Machicao.  Persi is currently the artist-in-residence at the Chaffee Art Center, and will be in town for the next couple of weeks to complete the mural.

The mural is going on one of the back walls of the historic Opera House and 100% of the work will be done from a mechanical lift.  Persi and I share the same calm, relaxed personalities, so spending hours together in a basket 50 or so feet above the pavement has not been a problem, and neither has the fact that we don't speak the same language. As Persi said on FB last week "el arte mueve montanas" or art moves mountains!

The design is Persi's and depicts a still life of fruits and vegetables, which is fitting, because the mural site is right next to the spot where Rutland's weekly farmer's market is held. Persi's style is bright, bold and unique, and once the piece is finished, it will be a welcome addition to help herald in Rutland's revitalization.

As you can see from the sequence of photos, the first step was to put down a white base coat on the wall. Then, we spent two days with the layout, which included first doing an initial sketch, first in chalk and then in permanent marker.  We are now in the process of outlining the whole design with black paint.

It should take another week or two to complete the mural, and there will be a grand-opening ceremony next month.  I will be posting daily progress photos on my Facebook pages and will be doing weekly reports via this blog.  Please stay tuned!  It's turning out to be a very productive summer!

Summer = New work, opportunities and familiar friends

Summer is in full swing here in southern Vermont and the market season has begun!  I only relocated to the state seven months ago, and already I feel very much involved and invested in the arts community, which is thriving.

In the studio, I just finished up the above 24" x 24" gift canvas to commemorate the grand opening of Yoga Haven Martha's Vineyard.  I met Robert Sidoti when I was living in Somerville, MA and had the opportunity to participate in his Broga classes.  It was a life-changing experience, and I always believe in giving back.  Thank you Robert, and good luck to you and Sherry with your new adventure!

I have also been working on the study work for my next series.  The above 5" x 5" orange canvas lead to the   10" x 10" blue canvas that follows.  It has always been my habit to work small before I go large, and this instance is no different.  Today I started with the gesso prep on a new 17" x 32" wood panel, and I can't wait to dive in.

Two weekends ago, Miss G and I had the opportunity to do a small market set up at the Pyramid Holistic Wellness Center.  I am a firm believer that no matter how small or large the venue, it's always good to put oneself out there to put a face with the art.  It was a blazing hot day, and we had to shift canvases and cards as the sun became more and more intense, but overall, it was a very positive day.

Speaking of outreach - I was very happy to have the opportunity to send some of my most recent work to my favorite Danish vocalist, Stine Grove.  She is a HUGE name in the European and American music scene and has been a loyal supporter of mine for some time.  Last year, I sent her some of my smaller works for her studio.  It really warms my heart and soul, as it's normally her music that I listen to as I paint, so for the full circle to be made is just amazing to me. Thank you Stine!

If you haven't had the chance to see my newest art cards, please take a look at them here.

It's already July, but in the coming weeks and months there will be some exciting activity for me to report on.  I already have a major event coming up in August, but I will keep it under wraps until the time gets a little closer.

For all of you that have been following me over the years and continue to do so, I thank you for your constant interest and support.  I could not do it without you!  Please stay tuned!

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Brian Sylvester Art Cards Now Available!

I am very happy to announce the addition of art cards to my shop.  These cards, which come in packs of three, represent some of my most recent series that I have created on canvas and wood panels.  They make a great gift and can always be framed after use.

These cards are produced in house, and I use only the finest paper and quality inks.  Each card is blank on the inside, includes an envelope and comes in a protective sleeve.

If you are interested, please take a look at my new Art Cards shop, which can be found at the top of my main page.

Vermont Artist Brian Sylvester Featured at The Southern Vermont Arts Center and the Chaffee Art Center

It's spring here in Vermont, and that means exhibition season!  I am happy and honored to be currently featured in two separate shows in two very beautiful spots.  The show at The Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester runs until June 17 and the show at The Chaffee Art Center in Rutland runs until July 7.  If you happen to be in the area, please stop by the venues.  Better yet, please contact me at briansylvesterart@gmail.com to schedule a studio visit, and I would be happy to take you behind the scenes of my work space.

I am excited to announce that I will be sending out a newsletter this weekend to announce some very special new news.  If you are already subscribed to my email list, be on the lookout.  If not, please take a quick moment to subscribe. Just go to the "Newsletter Subscription" tab at the top of this page to sign up.  I promise to only send out a few newsletters a year, and I will never ever share your email with anyone else.


Until next week's post, have a great weekend!  Thank you for all of your continued support and inspiration!

Vermont Artist Brian Sylvester Featured on Artsy Shark Website and Other Studio News

It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last reported here from the studios of http://www.briansylvesterart.com/, and a lot has been going on.

Last week, I was pleased to learn that I was the featured artist on the Artsy Shark website. It's a nice write up, and if you are interested  in a little more about who I am and why I paint, please give it a read.  Many thanks goes out to Caroly Edlund, who runs the site for giving me this excellent opportunity for exposure.

Back in the "real" world, I have had to take on some extra work to help supplement my art career.  I have been doing stonework, and imagine my surprise when one of my first projects to be involved in was the above circular pattern.  

Believe it or not, this pattern is actually a basketball court that the homeowner wanted to construct out of brick pavers.  While I am not a sports fan, I was happy to help construct this very "mandala like" piece of permanence.  

The fact that I am out most of the week hauling brick means that my studio and writing time has been cut back drastically.  I would like to extend my apologies to all of my faithful followers for being lax in my blogposts, but please know that this situation is not a permanent one.  

Back in the studio, I have been working on finishing the second 24" x 24" of the above diptych.  I have a submission deadline this weekend for a member's show at the Chaffee Art Center, so I only have a few days to get things finished.  I haven't decided whether I will go horizontal or vertical with the final orientation, and I will have to wait until I'm a little further along to make this decision.

In the next couple of weeks I promise to have photos of the Chaffee exhibition as well as my current hanging at the Southern Vermont Arts Center.  

Finally, I continue to do my regular posts over at the Wall Spin blog, and if you haven't visited in the past couple of weeks, I have put up a new artist interview as well as some features about mirrors and shadows in art.  If you need to round out your day with some thought provoking essays about the art world, please give them a read.  

Until next week's post, thank you for your continued support as I make it through this latest transition.  

Take care!