When opportunity knocks you open the door. You may not know how or why or when but when it arrives you are ready. You do it for passion and because you believe. What exactly it is may not be clear, but the feeling is there so you follow. It leads down windy paths and sometimes you go backwards to go forwards but ultimately you’ll get there. The beauty of creation, the beauty of Marla, is that worlds are built out of nothing. One minute you’re struggling with pricing in the factory and the next you’re on a private plane to the Bahamas, and it’s all because of her. When her story is told people listen. Her magic resonates when they see her in person. The logical approach is not to make one of kind products out of original artwork. Too many bottlenecks, too expensive, too time consuming, limited distribution potential. The beauty of real organic creation is that it is limitless, it doesn’t make logical sense but it also knows no bounds. It is a story, an energy, an absolute passion that creates believers as it navigates it’s own destiny. You can’t get this in a business plan. It’s not about the numbers, or the distribution goals, or the black and white proof of accomplishment. It’s about the story and the limitless potential of letting passion speak for itself and create it’s own rules. If you believe in something truly, from the gut more than the brain, you gain access to a world of wonder and opportunity that can’t be accessed any other way.

Enjoy these scenes from Marla’s excursion to the magical world of Baker’s Bay this weekend. She was intoxicated with its potential and fell in the arms of its beauty. The wind blows inspiration over cotton soft sandy beaches and the crystal clear waves carry passion in their wake. We have some work to do but if the stars align she will find a new home there before the snow melts outside her studio door.

Painting on leather is a dream.  Painting on leather with iridescent colors is a fantasy.  The smooth surface coupled with glittery flakes creates an almost ice like texture.  The colors and images are strongly affected by light so you get different perspectives depending on where you stand.  I took breaks in attempt to get photos in stages as the colors and images came together.  Enjoy.

I spent three artistically collaborative hours last night working on the print for the next series of Marla Cielo clutches while taking in the sounds of Nik Tarascio’s music.  His lyrics and sounds do a lot to motivate a paintbrush and I encourage you to download his songs on iTunes.  The paintings aren’t done yet, but enjoy the works in progress and I’ll share video with his live music soon.

I’m excited to share the news of Marla’s latest collaboration in the works with Discovery Land Company.  Discovery is a brand of luxury resorts that offers premium experiences and amenities to it’s exclusive clientele.  I’ll be creating prints based on the colors and energy of each unique location and am heading down to start the journey with the Baker’s Bay property in Abaco next week.  Looking forward to sharing more about the experience soon.