Adventures & Stories

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Unveiling The 'New' Vintage Paintings

Brendan's exhibit at Art Uptown Gallery in Sarasota in March was a great success. The reception in particular hosted a great turnout of friends, family and many new folks interested in Brendan's new work. Many patrons were overheard saying how happy the paintings made them feel, and that the images and styles brought them back to simpler days. Here's Brendan with some of his 'girls' as he likes to call them. . .

It just so happens to be Captain Rick Murphy, one of the foremost fishing guides in Southwest Florida, who he finally met at a Redfish tournament in Englewood.

To celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary, Nicole and I took a brief trip to Islamorada for some fishing. The bonefish eluded us, unfortunately. Guess they don't call them "white lightning" for nothing! We also visited some of our favorite spots and saw some beautiful sunsets.

We're not the only ones who like to get out in search of the next great fish. . .here friends Jim & Wendy, Tamara & Todd and Mike proudly display their catches after a great day on the water.

This Florida winter season has brought with it lots of boaters and fishing aficionados who have been frequenting our little spot, keeping us hopping. The season has also brought a great run of kingfish so anglers have been excited about that. Here are a few who stopped by to show us their proud catches:

(Right) An unexpected catch, a 24lb. kingfish caught by some local friends.

(Below left) A British visitor had a great day of fishing when he caught several kingfish.

(Below right) An avid fisherman (and a frequent visitor), hanging out by the 'Live Bait' sign. . .he's hoping to nab a fish or two!

Brendan and his friend Jim recently took a trip about 50 miles off the coast of Nokomis and caught not only several blackfin tuna (like the one pictured), but also huge red grouper, kingfish and bonita, and Jim even hooked a white marlin (then he demonstrated a disappointing quick release technique). The highlight of the day was watching that marlin jump a dozen or more times. . .

A great day was had by two guys who don't get a chance to fish much anymore, considering their busy lives. Be on the lookout for a new painting that captures the aerial acrobatics of that fish!

Just when we thought we didn't have enough on our plates, a new business opportunity presented itself. We soon realized that this particular one complemented Brendan's marine-life art, as well as, provided an abundance of reference material, inspiration and a great outlet for some of his work. Oh, and not to mention, a steady income, something to which a typical artist is not accustomed!!! Here's a picture of our new place called Dockside Store LLC, located smack dab on the Intracoastal waterway, just south of Sarasota in Nokomis near the Albee Road Bridge (at Gulf Harbor Marina). If you're in the area, please stop by to say hello. If we're not swamped with boaters, or if it's rainy, you can just have a cup of coffee and see what Brendan's working on at his easel. Stay tuned for updates on our new venture!

Our cat Phoebe, although very creative and left-brained, is apparently also interested in computers. Here she is contemplating the 'house mouse'. . .

Here's a fun pic. . .Our cat Max has lately been more interested in what we have for dinner than what's in his own bowl. Here he is dining with Brendan at our cafe table. Our cats have a pretty good life!

After a day in the studio recently, it was nice to head out in the boat and enjoy a picnic on the beach. Here's Nicole at the controls as we headed up the Venice coast to Midnight Pass.

Brendan & Nicole with Santa (actually, Santa's 'helper' Joe, our neighbor). It wouldn't be Christmas without a photo op with the red-suited fellow!