What's New

Happy Halloween from the Coudals!  Here’s my illustration of Max & Phoebe along with their carved pumpkin.  They did a good job with that chainsaw, didn’t they?!?

Did you know it’s National Cat Day?  We didn’t, until just now.  How did that one get by me and Nicole?!?  Max and Phoebe didn’t even remind us.  Here’s how we’re celebrating around the Coudal house.  Who says gifts are only for birthdays?  Prints are available, if you’d like one 🙂

Some of my friends went offshore fishing recently (I couldn’t go due to other commitments), but the trip reminded me of this epic day we all had a couple of years ago.  Man, we were catching everything out there!  Wahoo, grouper, snapper, porgy, you name it!  Cleaning them all was another story. . .

Today I’m showcasing an early paintings in my retro-style series called “Longboat Lovely”.  Longboat Key, FL is a barrier island near Sarasota.  It has long been known for its elegant, tasteful and pricey lifestyle.  I wanted to capture its beauty, which is why I chose a sailboat and a tasteful sailing gal.   And did you know that toy poodles were the big rage in the 1950s (according to the American Kennel Club)?  That little dude fit perfectly next to my gal.  I had Nicole pose for this one.  Funny thing is one day while I was working on the painting, Nicole’s mom came for a visit and when she saw the painting asked why I decided to paint her likeness?  It dawned on us all that Nicole looked a lot like her mom in her early 40s, so that just made sense!

My retro-inspired southwest Florida map, highlighting all the barrier islands from Anna Maria to Boca Grande, is coming along.    It will be kind of like an old postcard from Florida!  Below are pieces, in process.  The finished painting will hopefully be posted next week, since I’ve got to have it done by end of this week.

Nicole sent out my October Brendan Coudal News today with lots of stuff about MERMAIDS, plus some other stuff. . .Please read it!

Today I’m showcasing another of my favorite paintings called “Myakka Miss”.  The Myakka River is known for its diverse wildlife including alligators, birds and fish.  It winds through several miles of a narrow, serpentine channel bordered by live oaks and palms and is an ideal place for canoeing.  I wanted to capture some of its beauty, grace and history, so I came up with this composition.  I had Nicole sitting in a mock ‘canoe’ I built in my studio and I gave her a bunch of lures tied together to resemble Bluegill.   She was a tough model that day (she’ll admit it!), since the ‘canoe’ was pretty uncomfortable, but the results were stunning.  Wood signs, canvas prints and small prints are available!

Don’t forget!  Now through 10/15, if you buy anything on my website I’ll throw in a 10-pak of Postcards (a $10+ value).  No codes or anything required – that’s just messy. Great for keeping up w/pals or for framing (to showcase your great taste in art).  Here’s the postcard description.  www.BrendanCoudal.com

You’re going to love Brendan’s “Hang In There” cards. Not sure what’s funnier: cats in a bar, cats smoking, cats drinking, cats actually talking (or, for that matter, cats talking about Ponzi schemes) or cats being shot out of a canon? You decide – they’re all great and even have funny captions.  Boxed set of 8 is $15.00.

I released my retro-style series in 2007 and, as mentioned in a prior post, “Boca Belle” was my first painting.  I followed it with “Meet Me at the Lido” as an homage to a special place in Sarasota’s history.  I had my wife pose on a replica statue at The Quay (which has since been demolished).  Let’s just say she wasn’t thrilled about hanging off the statue while busy traffic whizzed by.  Oh, and did I mention I had her wearing a bathing suit for some of the shots?!?

In the 40s & 50s, Lido Beach Casino was THE place to be in Sarasota, FL.  Folks loved the beautiful facility flanked by huge seahorse statues where you could enjoy pool, beach cabanas, restaurants and dancing to Rudy Bundy’s Big Band.  And the young gals were sure to pose on the seahorses for photos!

The original is sold, but canvas prints, wood signs and small prints are available.

Started a new painting today.  It will be featured in a beautiful new publication called The Scout Guide – Sarasota, which will showcase cool restaurants and businesses from Anna Maria to Boca Grande, FL.   I plan to incorporate several elements our area is known for – oranges, water skiing, Tarpon fishing, boating, sunbathing, shopping, etc.  I’m taking lots of pics, too, in order to have a time lapsed video when it’s done.  This should be a fun project.  Stay tuned for updates!  Oh, and be sure to check out www.TheScoutGuide.com

My newest painting called “Bubbly Mermaid” is finished!  This pretty blond siren is celebrating with a glass of champagne, while her friend the Tarpon floats by, wondering if he’ll get a glass.  The original has been sold, but she comes in two sizes of canvas prints and a 16X24 wood sign.  You can even change the text if you want!