The Hopeful Hearts Club @ Manifest Hope : DC w/Shepard Fairy, Ron English and others

So last week, the night before the night before Christmas, I recieved a wonderful call from Yosi Sergant.

Yosi Sergant is the guy who made brought Shepard Fairey, El Mac, and other artists into the Obama Campaign. Now he is working as Shep's publicist and loving it.

Anyway, he called and asked if I would like to have my piece "The Hopeful Hearts Club" included in the Manifest Hope: DC Presidential Inauguration show through Martin Irvine Galleries and Move On.

I obviously was stoked to hear this, and said yes. So come January 17th through January 19th 2009 the Hopeful Hearts Club will be alongside other Obama art at:

Manifest Hope: DC
3333 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007

Hours are from 10 am to 6 pm daily.

I will be in attendance at the Gallery opening the night of the 16th and at the Gala Closing Party January 19th. Throughout the time the Gallery is open, I will be in and out throughout the day. If you see me, stop and say hi.

Anyway, peace, and COME TO THE SHOW!

-Cuffe

Hopeful Hearts Club Featured in the Examiner

Check out my featured article at:
http://www.examiner.com/x-375-Chicago-Neighborhoods-Examiner

Best,
-Mike

Voted for Obama

Sketching Nouveau

This summer I have had a bit of an obsession over both Art Deco and Art Nouveau.

Yesterday I went over to our local central park and spent some time sketching a tree in the Japanese garden, and tweaking of Deco/Nouveau line patterns.

Warm parks in the fall rock.

Halloween and Walgreens

Every Halloween I like to go to places like Walgreens, Target, etc. etc. to see all the cheap plastic crap that comes out out of China, and into our homes.

Each year it gets better and better... here's some of my favorites.

Social Diversion: Couture Obama Experiment Cards

My signifigant other is Lyrica Glory founder of Social Diversion, a paper arts company that creates boutique, couture non-business calling cards for high class singles, business owners, and the entirely unique alike.

So since I have an "in" with some of the folks there, I was able to have them create my calling card for my "Obama Experiment" website. Lyrica actually hand created the design of the card herself, creating an overall engravers look for the info side, with the reverse being a ultra-marine colored paper-fabric.

I was able to take some photos of the actual cutting process taking place (which is quite amazing, since all pieces are hand-cut).

I love them, and view them as an additional piece of art.

If you would like some boutique, couture non-business calling for yourself go to:
http://www.SocialDiversion.com

Kris Kuksi

The other day Lily and I went to the Shooting Gallery on Larking to catch an artist's show whom I've been following.

Kris Kuksi does these beautiful, ultimately detailed sculptured pieces out of pieces from model kits. They are far more delicate looking and detailed in person, truly taking the viewer into another world.

It's kind of "City of the Lost Children" in miniature. They really look amazing, and if I had 10k to drop, one would be in my house.

http://kuksi.com/

Soundboard SF

Tonight Lyrica and I wend to visit some dear artistically inspired friends in the city.

While there I met a guy by the name of Jon Ruiz who is the founder of www.SoundBoardSF.com, who created a networking community for the creative community.

Anyway, very smart guy who looks like he is slated to bring the all of us artists, designers, and entrepreneurs together.

Check out his site: http://www.SoundBoardSF.com

The Beauty of Steaming Cup o' Noodle

I'm a bit of a foodie, I love food, the Food Network, all the Celebrity Chefs (Gordon Ramsey at the top of my list) blah blah...you know, everything. I love cooking it with fresh local ingredients, obscure spices, and everything culinary.

But I have come to realize that no matter how much you love food, there seem to be staples that are set standards in most households. You know, the junk food we all hate to love.

Macaroni and cheese, Red Vines, and all the crap that has no nutritional value but is simple, quick to make, and delicious...depending on how much of it you've been eating lately.

In our house, we have Cup o' Noodle. Once in a while, being able to have an instant ramen can be a godsend. Sure it's dried noodles, in the most environmentally unfriendly Styrofoam cups, but when in a rush there is nothing better.

It's like when you go camping, and Cup o' Noodle is just so satisfying. It's like that minus the marshmallows and fire.

I took this picture of my Cup o' Noodle the other day. I think it is possibly one of the best product shots I've seen.

-Mike

Graffiti in Berkley

A couple of weeks ago I had to go and get a painting I just finished photographed over in Berkeley.

On the way through the arts/industrial area, I came across which may be one of the largest and most spread graffiti murals I've seen yet. It seems like there was a clear respect between the artists here, and it more of an urban art gallery than anything.

Here are some pics I took....

The Obama Experiment 2.1

The Obama Experiment has been a fun project to do over the summer of 2008. It was neat to be part of Barack Obama's movement for change not only through my art, but other avenues of getting the word out.

The Obama Experiment is in final phases of getting cleaned up again. Deciding on whether or not I would like to keep it running after the campaign. Think I will, it might be fun to do an Obama inspired print from time to time.

2.1 Really was just another scrub with the brush to clean up any last bits of disorganization.

Found this pic online, it is of a meteor that crossed the sky while a bunch of observers were out late one night and just happened to catch it on film.


"Bright Bolide"
Credit & Copyright: Howard Edin (Oklahoma City Astronomy Club)

Explanation: On September 30, a spectacular bolide or fireball meteor surprised a group of amateur astronomers enjoying dark night skies over the Oklahoma panhandle's Black Mesa State Park in the Midwestern US. Flashing past familiar constellations Taurus (top) and Orion, the extremely bright meteor was captured by a hillside camera overlooking the 2008 Okie-Tex Star Party. Astronomy enthusiast Howard Edin reports that he was looking in the opposite direction at the time, but saw the whole observing field light up and at first thought someone had turned on their car headlights. So far the sighting of a such a bright bolide meteor, produced as a space rock is vaporized hurtling through Earth's atmosphere, really is a matter of luck.

Chicago 2008

During the insanity that was June 2008 we found ourselves in-between a funeral, family reunion, and a wedding (this in one week alone).

Escaping only slightly to see the sights of Chicago and hit up the Art Institute.

Here I love to see my favorite piece...Night Hawks by Edward Hopper.

Here are some pics of our short stay...

-Mike

Lily and the Blue Lamp

It was about 5 pm and the light from the setting sun beamed through the window.

Catching a blue vase in a particular way, it cast a wonderful blue glass design. I told Lyrica to tie her hair back and get ready to stare off into nothingness.

Here are some of the shots....enjoyyyyyyyy......

Obama's Hopeful Hearts Club release by Michael Cuffe

Dear Readers,

So after a long journey I finally finished my Sgt. Pepper Obama Painting entitled "The Hopeful Hearts Club."

It took me a long time, a very long time, to finish this piece. So much of what is shot in the video is me piecing it together and painting.



Hope you enjoy!

-Mike